7
votes
Do month-year coloured dots on batteries signify install-by expiration date?
The "9/16" marker (at Walmart, at least) is the nominal date of manufacture - the actual date may be a few weeks earlier.
It's used for warranty replacements. Walmart batteries are often on a 3+2 ...
- 8,702
7
votes
Do month-year coloured dots on batteries signify install-by expiration date?
No, these are not sell-by dates or expiration dates. If batteries expired within a couple of months of manufacture, they'd be useless for their intended purpose. Getting a battery that's been ...
- 1,587
7
votes
Alternator squeal
That year of RAV 4 uses the alternator to tighten the belt. It may not be adjusted properly and the belt is slipping.
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- 7,990
6
votes
Accepted
O2 Sensor Problems
This is a bad idea.
There's a very good reason why ECU's default to running on the rich side when they are unable to get a valid reading from the O2 sensor and that is because running an engine too ...
- 10k
6
votes
Alternator squeal
More than likely the problem is either your serpentine belt is worn out, or the tensioner pulley isn't providing enough tension to keep the belt in place. Belt slippage accounts for the low amount of ...
- 157k
5
votes
Accepted
No Start: Bad starter solenoid, bad wiring, or a defective anti-theft system?
OK, so this turned in an unexpected direction - when I loosened the bolts of the starter some water started running out I when I completely removed it I found this:
Somehow water got into the starter ...
- 15.7k
4
votes
Can the amount of ampere hours in a car battery be determined by it's output in volts?
The work that a battery can do is measured in watt-hours. You observe that a high or low voltage across the terminals somewhats reflect the state of charge of the battery. That is true, but it's not a ...
- 370
4
votes
Battery resting voltage drop after trying to start
Best guesses:
One or more cells of the battery is low on water or the plate is collapsing. How old is the battery? Near end of lifespan? A battery can read full voltage, but under load will drop ...
- 944
4
votes
Battery resting voltage drop after trying to start
I see two possibilities here:
The battery is weak
The battery terminals are corroded enough to cause voltage-drop issues, so both battery and alternator are fine but
the charging system isn't able ...
- 39.1k
4
votes
Automotive Power
This is much simpler than its being made out to be.
The easiest way to do this is to get a simple "clamp meter" that reads electrical current, and clamp it around the positive battery cable while all ...
- 13.2k
4
votes
Acceptable battery voltage drop overnight
Given your driving history, I would guess this isn't a "parasitic draw" problem at all. If you have had the battery continually undercharged for 6 months, it may have lost a lot of capacity.
If you ...
- 2,944
4
votes
Connecting Fuse Tap to another Fuse location
Or will each appliance receive exactly what it asks for?
Yes
Conversely, if I connected this fuse tap and cigarette lighter instead to a lower amperage, like 10, what would happen if the cigarette ...
- 7,990
3
votes
Accepted
Is my car battery health bad and should I replace it?
I think your battery is okay. You are getting 12.7 volts after driving, which means that it is fully charged. It's the charge after sitting a few days that concerns me, 12.2 volts is generally ...
- 16.9k
3
votes
Confusing DTC terminology?
First, if you're looking for an answer to "what does a code mean", your best bet is to just Google it. Find out what the code is telling you. This will give you a list of things it might be. ...
- 157k
3
votes
Accepted
2015 Kia Forte Intermittent Low Voltage Occurrences - P0562
This very much sounds like your battery has an internal short which is intermittent. It could be the plates are coming in contact with each other some how and causing the short. Then when you jump the ...
- 157k
2
votes
Start Engine If Battery Drops Below "X" Volts
Just my thought, but I have a similar issue on my race car trailer, which has a huge inverter which runs lights, an air conditioner, a microwave, a refigerator (frozen burritos and healthy hydration ...
- 12.4k
2
votes
Accepted
Start Engine If Battery Drops Below "X" Volts
I assume you're looking for something like this?
The key to this is you're looking for a remote starter which happens to provide a low battery protection option. You must have remote start to do what ...
- 774
2
votes
Accepted
Why does my car's switched 12V drop to 5V when I add an accessory?
Did more research on this and the consensus seems to be that Tacoma's electronics detect the additional current (of the accessory), and drop the voltage automatically as some sort of safety/precaution ...
- 161
2
votes
Low voltage when using remote starter
Remote start is not a separate starting system. It is an electronic control that triggers the existing system to start the engine. Since your car starts by key without issue, I suspect the problem you ...
- 9,015
2
votes
Low voltage when using remote starter
A frayed wire could definitely be the cause. What is the, "wire to the remote starter" and what is it's function?
Starting a car, remotely or otherwise, requires a large wire to provide power from ...
- 3,012
2
votes
Accepted
Safe voltages for jump starting
I'd say that 16.8 VDC is a bit too high to call "safe."
Now to answer the primary question, obviously it depends on the exact vehicle. Different computers and different wiring designs will result in ...
- 3,264
2
votes
O2 Sensor Problems
It's much cheaper to fix an O2 sensor issue than the consequences of unsuccessfully trying to spoof it, and you will be unsuccessful. Don't do it.
If you run an engine too lean it can cause ...
- 16.9k
2
votes
Can the amount of ampere hours in a car battery be determined by it's output in volts?
The answer is that yes, it can be, to some extent, according to battery university. However, the battery should rest for 24 hours, which may be impractical. Note that most cars have a low continuous ...
- 14.5k
2
votes
Faulty Motorcycle Regulator?
Yes, a bad regulator will cause your motorcycle battery to be overcharged. This is a common failure because of the way motorcycle alternators work.
Measure the battery voltage while the engine is ...
- 121
2
votes
Accepted
Battery Voltage low when car is running. Should I be concerned?
I wouldn't worry too much. You can go a little deeper in checking the system. But you will need a load tester. I wouldn't worry about 0.4v. You could turn on as many loads ad you can.
Head lights/...
- 823
2
votes
Accepted
ECM voltage, spark spike
To get this off the unanswered question list:
There was an intermittent break in the wiring harness near the MAP sensor. I removed the damaged section and lineman-spliced it, and this particular ...
- 3,149
2
votes
ECM voltage, spark spike
That is a lot of spark advance. It looks like its sitting at 5-7ish degrees, then pulls up to almost 30 suddenly. Thats way higher than any normal adjustment I've seen.
I added my own line onto ...
- 1,646
2
votes
Automotive Power
Use a voltmeter across the battery and an ammeter in series (as mentioned a clampmeter - accurate hopefully) and get the values with all the things running you want.
Power is then volts * amps ...
...
- 34.6k
2
votes
Accepted
High battery voltage, no (noticed) symptoms, issue?
My car is doing the same - and it's because the demands of lights, heater etc plus the effects of the cold are making the regulator charge the battery more.
I have put a multimeter on mine and have ...
- 34.6k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible