theflystyle Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 Hey guys, Well heres the story... The car wont start. I dont get the usual ticking when trying to turn over the car with the key, but instead its just completely dead. The car will only start if I get it jump started and while driving, if I hit the brakes the lights (inside and headlights) dim. I have no clue what it may be, but after some searching for some of the symptoms there could be things such as a bad alternator, blown fuse, or dead battery. Keep in mind I just purchased a battery less then 2 months ago. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2X2KOB Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 Do you have a voltmeter/DC ammeter? If not, perhaps a trip to the local Autozone or equivalent, where they have things like battery and alternator testers and people who will use them for free, would be advisable. I'd say you have at least a dead battery, and possibly a dead alternator or a short somewhere that is draining the battery. If you have a voltmeter/DC ammeter and know how to use it a little bit, we can discuss further driveway troubleshooting steps for happy fun good time electical success story! Also please include year/make/model/car details... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theflystyle Posted April 30, 2006 Author Share Posted April 30, 2006 maybe i should have mentioned it before, but its a 1994 legacy l... but do you really think the battery already could be dead, like mention its only 2 months old... i dont have a meter of any sort so i would have to go to advance to get something tested.... but are there any things i can do to check around on my own until i can go somewhere?? thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2X2KOB Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 Perhaps instead of "dead" I should have said "discharged" in reference to the battery. Most likely it will charge back up when the defect is corrected. You can make sure all the fuses are good and that the battery cables and big red wires under the hood are in good shape and connected properly. I don't know if there's any fuses in the charging circuit, but I doubt it. If you jump it to start it, then turn the headlights on, then remove the jumper cables, do the headlights dim a lot right when you disconnect the jumper cables? If so, this would indicate a bad alternator. edit spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoahDL88 Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 If you have an alternator that is not working properly, it will kill even a brand new battery, when the voltage drops below a certain threshold battery life is severly deminished. just about any auto parts store should have a battery and alternator testor, get them both tested and figure out which one is bad. Before you go, make sure that you have your parking light switch turned off, the connections are good, and that you do have an alternator belt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northguy Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 Check the connection on the anodes first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dickensheets Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 I once bought a brand new dead battery. It can happen. rd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theflystyle Posted April 30, 2006 Author Share Posted April 30, 2006 Here is a little update... I was in the car checking the fuses inside and in the engine compartment... All the fuses were fine and while messing around I noticed another possible "symptom". When I recently place my key in the ignition and do not start the car, the lights inside the dash light up and the beeping occurs if the doors open, etc.. Then as soon as I try to turn the key to start the car everything cuts off immediatley.. I dont yet have a way to take the car to get the alternator tested, etc but i really appreciate all your help from everyone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 Most accessories are supposed to turn off in the start position while the starter is turned on. To see if you have a low battery you can turn the key to on and then turn the headlights on and the blower to high. If those things are ok then the problem would be either no voltage getting to the starter solenoid or the solenoid is bad. You should invest in a test light at least to check things like this. A voltmeter is even better and you can even get them for a real reasonable cost starting around $25 dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcspeer Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 After you jump start it take the battery cable off, if it dies your alt. most likely is not working. If it stays running, turn it off and clean the battery cables and reconnect if it dont charge up then take the battery back where you bought it and have them check it and probably exchange it for another one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbrand Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 Yeah, a volt meter and a little checking out shold be able to pinpoint the problem. The wierdest one i had was a brand new battery that was REVERSED polarity in the case from the markings-when put in would current would flow through the diodes in alternator and make a big spark-lucky it didnt burn it up. Double checked everything three times to make sure we diddnt have a short somewhere, and I finally put my voltmeter on the battery and discovered the problem. Ever since I check EVERY battery I install Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 If you have a seriously discharged battery, a jump wont do anything, especially with a dead alternator. There is also the slight possability the battery is damaged. nipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theflystyle Posted May 1, 2006 Author Share Posted May 1, 2006 i really like the replies.. im a little skep about taking it to an advance auto parts since the person most likely is a kid like me with the possibility of knowing nothing. im gonna get a volt meter but i was wondering where on the alternator to test... im assuming that when testing the battery, i will have nothing connected but instead just test the raw leads and expect 12v... im also gonna try the disconnect idea when the car is running to eliminate the alt... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcspeer Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 Theflystyle, did you check your cables and make sure they are clean and tight at the battery? i really like the replies.. im a little skep about taking it to an advance auto parts since the person most likely is a kid like me with the possibility of knowing nothing. im gonna get a volt meter but i was wondering where on the alternator to test... im assuming that when testing the battery, i will have nothing connected but instead just test the raw leads and expect 12v... im also gonna try the disconnect idea when the car is running to eliminate the alt... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theflystyle Posted May 1, 2006 Author Share Posted May 1, 2006 i did a quick check for all the cables and everything.. but dont you guys think its weird that the lights and dash work (meaning lights etc) but as soon as i go to turn the car over everything cuts off... till tomorrow when i can check some stuff well see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sregor13 Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 I have had this problem alot in Subaru's over the years. Your likely culprit is poor connection at the Battery Terminals, the alternator itself or the main ground connection. Clean the battery terminals with diet Coke and wire brush, or better yet replace them if possible. Check the connection on the back of the Alternator. The ring terminals on my Legacy corroded and pretty much were ready to fall of. You can replace with Yellow Ring terminal. On bith of the above you may want to peel the shielding back a little to inspect the wire. The Battery..., you can test it to see if it has 12V, but this doesnt give you the whole story. Batteries can show 12V with a Tester but have no cranking amps. Some batteries wont accept a charge. If the battery is made by Exide then I would consider it ruined from the get go. Just kidding, but I find that only 1 in 4 Exide batteries I buy actuall work for more than two months. ( That is no lie) The alternator..... I have had experiences where the voltage regulator, within the Alternator, is going out interemittently. It will either over or undercharge the battery. But sometimes it put out just the right amount. So consider that in your troubleshooting. I have got money on the Positive battery terminal or where the hot lead hooks up to the alternator. if it is neither of these then do exactly what Cougar says and you will find the problem. Cougar is an Expert in troubleshooting Subaru Electrical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 but dont you guys think its weird that the lights and dash work (meaning lights etc) but as soon as i go to turn the car over everything cuts off... If you look at a electrical drawing of the ignition switch you would see why things turn off in the Start position. The switch cuts power to unneeded accessories to provide extra power to the starter motor. This is a normal operation. As others have mentioned, the problem may be dirty cable connections or possibly internal corrosion in the starter cable from the battery. Hopefully you have tried the test I mentioned in my earlier post to see where the problem is at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theflystyle Posted May 1, 2006 Author Share Posted May 1, 2006 PROBLEM FIXED... for now? hey guys thanks for all the help first off... and today was a bit of trial and error with the suggestions that were given to me here. I jumped started my car and then removed the positive battery terminal connection and the car was still running. I then headed over to advance to have them test my battery. They tried to pull the amps on it but the meter was giving a range from -.01 to -.05. I had the reciepts from the battery i just bought 2 months ago and they did a exchange no problem. (should have seen the look on his face with my grounding kit lol) I then installed the new battery expecting no problems what so ever. Well the car would start but not with my key, it would only start with my remote start. This was not normal so I called my bud from work since he has the same remote start and he said this happens on occasion from the battery terminal having buildup and corrosion on it. He said just clean it off and tighten down everything and your car should work. Next thing I know the car starts, runs and no dimming of the headlamps or anything!! I just did this all today so I can by no means say this was the definate cure, but I will go out on a limb and say the battery died so young since the corrosion on the terminal was keeping the alternator from fully charging the battery. But thanks again to all and if I have any future problems youll be hearing about them. -ali Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2X2KOB Posted May 2, 2006 Share Posted May 2, 2006 Corrosion on the battery cables? That's the first thing you should have checked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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