An automotive battery is a type of rechargeable battery that supplies electric energy to an automobile. Usually this refers to an SLI battery (starting, lighting, ignition) to power the starter motor, the lights, and the ignition system of a vehicle’s engine.
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How to maintain a sometimes-used vehicle?
My daily commute changed from 9 miles to 9 feet when I started working remotely. That means I very rarely drive my car much. After a particularly hectic month, I didn't drive for about 4 weeks and ...
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3answers
5k views
Is there a way to put Prius with dead battery into neutral?
I own a 2010 Prius. It has a dead battery, front facing forward in my garage. I do not have long enough jumper cables.
I’ve searched the Internet. Did Toyota really create a car that cannot be put ...
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6answers
13k views
Pros/cons of higher capacity car battery?
I'm shopping for a new car battery for 1998 Subaru Outback (2.5l). For the physical dimensions the battery has to match, I see some variance in capacity (Ah) rating, and in price too, of course.
The ...
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2answers
2k views
Jump starting a dead battery: Connect black wire to negative pole of battery or grounded metal?
Most of the advice I've seen for jump starting cars instructs to connect the black wire to a bare piece of metal on the car with the dead battery. However, I've always just hooked up both poles to the ...
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4answers
765 views
The headlights dim to almost off when I turn off the engine. How do I test the battery?
My car still starts fine but when I turn off the car (just the motor . . the key is still in and "on") I noticed the headlights dim to almost off. It's and older car and the headlights don't turn off ...
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3answers
7k views
Battery drains by itself when vehicle is parked (parasitic draw)
A 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee has gone through 3 batteries in the last 3 months. While they have all been replaced by warranties, it'd be nice to get the problem solved permanently. I've tested the ...
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4answers
5k views
Is it possible to harm your car by giving someone a boost?
This post explains why it's a potential hazard to clip to the negative post on the dead battery when giving a boost. But I've also been told that I could damage the electronics in my own car if I give ...
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2answers
632 views
Why might I experience a power falloff after starting my car with the AC On?
I have a 2000 Chrysler Neon which generally runs well.
I have noticed that if I start the vehicle, turn the AC on and reverse out of the driveway, the engine seems to struggle/sounds like it is going ...
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3answers
2k views
Is Start & Stop technology good or bad for my car? (Alfa MiTO)
I was recently in the lucky position to obtain an (almost brand new) Alfa Romeo MiTo, Progression. Like many new cars coming out these days, it has "Start & Stop" technology that turns the engine ...
6
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3answers
5k views
What could cause my Honda Civic to not start? And how can I address the issue?
I need help trouble shooting my honda civic. It will not start.
I was driving it earlier today and I went to drive it again when it would not start. I'm glad I was at home when it decided to quit.
...
6
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4answers
1k views
How to assess battery charge level and alternator performance?
What diagnostics can be done to to assess battery charge level?
I'm interested both in one-off tests like can be done in car service and also continuous monitoring during normal use.
Car panels ...
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3answers
725 views
How should I prevent my battery going flat when I leave my car alone for a month?
I will be leaving my Focus alone for around a month in (scottish) winter weather. Ordinarily I would make sure to take the vehicle out at least once a week to prevent the battery going flat in the ...
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2answers
201 views
How to put 1997 Toyota 4Runner in neutral with dead battery?
My ’97 Toyota 4Runner with automatic transmission is parked head first in a small garage with a dead battery. I need to put it into neutral to push it out on the driveway so I can jump-start it. (This ...
5
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3answers
2k views
How do I apply dielectric grease to my battery?
I recently had a new battery installed in my 2006 Subaru Forester. The shop did not use any dielectric grease, just connected the leads to the terminal and that's it. What is the preferred method of ...
5
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1answer
167 views
What current is “normal” for constant battery drain (not parasitic)
I'm having some problems with battery going dead sometimes, and I noticed that there are some small sparks after disconnecting the battery for a few seconds and then reconnecting again. It is not big ...
5
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2answers
486 views
Can an engine stop from a bad battery?
The car is a 2005 Toyota Corolla CE. Its engine is the 1ZZ-FE, a 1.8L straight four that runs on gas, not diesel.
The alternator is stock, and tests out just fine on the multimeter in both voltage ...
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4answers
5k views
How to diagnose a starter motor that does not work
My e46 M3 would not start when I got to the parking garage after work. When I first turned the key, I heard a sound like grinding gears, but I was so startled that I immediately stopped trying to ...
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4answers
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How do I know if my car battery is dead?
By mistake, I left the headlights on overnight for my Honda Civic 2008. 24 hours later when I tried to start it, the car would not start and nothing would come on including the internal lights and the ...
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4answers
265 views
Should I turn off my headlights while having the car run to “defrost” while I scratch ice off the windows?
My 2009 Ford Mondeo Clipper has a very nice "Max Heating" setting, where it both defrosts front and back windows, and sets the airco to max temperature, max fan speed. When I find my car windows ...
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4answers
2k views
2004 Ford Escape battery light comes on intermittently - what likely cause(s) are there?
I have a 2004 Ford Escape Limited on which the battery light has been coming on randomly for varying amounts of time while the vehicle is in active operation.
I have checked the battery cables and ...
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2answers
121 views
How to detect a failing car alternator..?
Is there some way we can predict that the car alternator is about to fail in order to avoid a discharged battery situation on the road..
Although it will slow the sound of horn and will dim the ...
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1answer
245 views
How do you remove or even get to the car battery on a 2012 Honda Odyssey?
Summary
How do you get to the battery on a 2012 Honda Odyssey, given that it is blocked by some type of intake tube**?
**Edit: this used to say exhaust but I changed it to intake tube, given ...
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3answers
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93 Nissan Sentra SE-R, replaced alternator voltage still low
My car died while I was driving it, but I can put the battery on a charger (or from another car, with jumper cables) and get it running albeit for a short period of time.
I put a multimeter on the ...
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1answer
574 views
What do battery numbers mean? E.g., 26R-5N
I went to Walmart and put my car's information (2000 Dodge Neon) into the electronic battery selector, and it told me to purchase a 26R-5N battery (which matches my current battery).
However, what do ...
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1answer
157 views
What's the reason for a battery light coming on and becoming brighter as the engine revs higher?
The vehicle is a 1993 LandRover Discovery 3.5 V8. Today when I hopped in to drive home the battery light came on when I started up, and remained on. It gets brighter as the engine revs and just ...
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2answers
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'01 Jeep Cherokee - Check Gauges light & low battery gauge
Bought my '01 Cherokee back in March & have had nothing but problems since; I've been slowly fixing them when I have the time/cash. However, this particular issue has me stumped (and it's happened ...
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2answers
254 views
dead battery - is there anything else that caused this
My battery went dead yesterday. I couldn't hear the usual cranking sound of starter. just a faint click when try starting the engine. replaced the battery then all was fine. I tested the voltage ...
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3answers
672 views
Why use a car battery charger?
What's the need for car battery chargers that I often see on display in auto parts shops?
I mean a battery is sold charged (and if it discharges too much it just dies and can't be restored) and every ...
3
votes
3answers
85 views
Adding a additional battery to car
I have purchased a brand new Toyota Innova. I need to install a a mac mini, 2 laptops and make this car a mobile office.
I need to know if I can install another car battery in parallel, and will ...
3
votes
2answers
8k views
Car Battery won't charge after sitting for a Year
I have a main starter battery and a leisure batter in my van. They have been left unused for around a year with my van off the road. I am now trying to get it up and running however I am unable to ...
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2answers
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'03 Mazda Tribute needs jumped every time it starts
I have a 2003 Mazda Tribute. I'm not entirely sure what the problem is with the vehicle. I suppose it could be the alternator or just a dead battery, but could also be something more detailed.
I have ...
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1answer
96 views
Wet battery durability based on how we start a motorbike engine
I have a motorbike with a wet battery. I use its electric starter to start the engine.
Is there any research done by others before to prove which one of the following makes the durability of the wet ...
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3answers
2k views
RPM and duration to recharge a battery?
My car had been sitting for a while without being driven. The battery now has a weak charge but it can get the engine started (barely). I would like to charge the battery by running the engine, but ...
3
votes
2answers
301 views
Does length of jumper cable matter while jumpstarting a motorcycle from car battery as a booster?
I recently left my Harley Davidson 883 Superlow in ignition on for 8 hours, headlight drained all the battery. This was my first time jumpstart experiment. Had following few questions, happy to be ...
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2answers
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Why did my car stall when I used the foot brake?
Preface: I drive a 2004 Peugeot 206, manual
On the motorway the other night, one of my tires blew out. I managed to pull over and change to the spare wheel in about 30 minutes (having never changed a ...
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2answers
255 views
s60 won't start, no lights, nothing at all
I accidentally left my keys in ignition overnight - and now nothing. Have charged battery and tried spare key, but neither fixed the issue.
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1answer
112 views
Anderson connector for car battery?
I am thinking about making a 20Ah LiFePo battery for my jeep with 4 tenergy LifePo4 cells from eBay.
I will solder the terminals directly to each other, but for the leads going to the car, can I use ...
3
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1answer
2k views
How many amps should my car be pulling while it is turned off?
I've recently started having a bit of trouble with my car. I typically drive my car to and from work each day. A couple weeks ago I went on vacation and when I returned, my car battery was as dead ...
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1answer
378 views
Battery replacement on 2001 Chevy Venture
I have a 2001 Venture that needs a battery replacement. Will disconnecting the battery activate the Theftlock system in my stereo? My impression is that the VIN is stored in flash memory, so a ...
3
votes
2answers
26 views
06 Ford Escape Dead Battery Keypad Entry
So, the Escape was sitting in the parking garage for a couple weeks with the keys inside and no spare available (don't ask, this is a shared company vehicle with keypad entry). The keypad isn't ...
3
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2answers
208 views
What is the correct/factory wiring for a Suburban 1998 battery/alternator?
I have included a picture showing what I have now on this Suburban. Note that there is wiring not shown in the picture which is a second electrical connection to the positive side of the battery ...
3
votes
1answer
72 views
2000 Dodge Intrepid electrical problem
I accidently let the battery power cable touch the frame of the car and it sparked. Now my car does not light up dashboard or anything type of power. I tried jumping the car and still no sin of life. ...
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1answer
251 views
Car starts with push start but not with jump leads
Perhaps somebody can identify this issue. The car is a 2003 BMW Z4. The symptoms are:
Car wouldn't start last week
Jump leads did nothing
Push started the car in 2nd, engine starts.
Took The car ...
2
votes
2answers
84 views
Factory panic alarm going off after changing battery [97 Toyota Camry]
We just changed the battery in our 1997 Toyota Camry now as soon as we connect the battery the panic alarm goes off and all the doors lock. How do we stop this / turn it off.
///note: the battery in ...
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3answers
2k views
Can I charge a Car Battery with a Motorcycle charger?
Car battery to be charged is a DIN66 which I think is about 65ah. I have a Motorcycle charger which says it can be used on cars; it suits batteries from 4 ah to 40 ah.
Does this mean that it can ...
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2answers
58 views
Battery shorts when key is turned quickly
My friend has a newish (~2009) Toyota Tacoma that apparently can short the battery when he turns the key from off to start too fast.
By short I mean, when fully charged the truck will click once like ...
2
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3answers
259 views
What's happening when you give someone a boost?
While I've given and received boosts before I've always been following instructions by rote and never really understood what's happening.
The procedure I've been told is:
Attach red clamp to the ...
2
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2answers
3k views
What precautions are needed when charging a car battery in an apartment?
Suppose a car owner lives in an apartment building and parks his car nearby. He wants to detach the battery, bring it home and charge it with a mains-powered charger indoors.
How to properly handle ...
2
votes
1answer
135 views
Power vampire in car. Where do I start looking?
I have been to the car store four times and each time they tell me that the battery is good. A few of the cold-cranking amps (maybe at 50 or so, I don't remember the exact amount) are gone otherwise ...
2
votes
1answer
179 views
Power Inverters as Emergency Generators?
After being hit by Hurricane Irene last week, I happened to loose power for literally one week so rather than rely completely on batteries and being a nomad, I used my Cobra 400 watt power inverter ...
