|
|
Tried to change the radio and now engine dies on going slow.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
etherdose
New User
Mar 27, 2010, 9:51 PM
Post #1 of 4
(2090 views)
|
Tried to change the radio and now engine dies on going slow.
|
Sign In
|
|
What the heck! I have a 2004 Ford focus 4 door. We got an installer kit and we proceeded to take off the faceplate to get the old radio out. My wife had the inner dome light on too long and it went out. Things seemed ok. We read in the instructions to unhook the battery while changing the radio. I did that, making sure the metal wasn't touching anything. I had only unhooked the black cable (negative) side of the battery. We realized we had the wrong install kit so we re-hooked the battery and kept the old radio out. We drove to walmart and car acted fine. Shopped, got new wire parts, and at 9pm tonight while starting the car to come home, the crap hit the fan. It started but didn't want to stay started. My wife had to run a few red lights when she could to get us home and we made it home ok, but now the car dies when it goes slow. NO ALT light came on, and I figured maybe it was the battery, but how can the battery be at fault if the car starts but doesn't stay started? What happened? What did I do? Any ideas?
|
|
| |
|
|
etherdose
New User
Mar 28, 2010, 1:18 AM
Post #2 of 4
(2083 views)
|
|
Re: Tried to change the radio and now engine dies on going slow.
|
Sign In
|
|
UPDATE = After this post I let the car battery charge on one of those
slow battery chargers I have for car batteries. Just 10 minutes
ago...about 4 hours later or so, I unplugged the charger, removed it,
replugged the battery to the car, then started it. It started up with a
good jolt and idled just fine. After 10 minutes, the idle sounded less
and less confident. With the hood popped, I noticed the alternator
making a raspy 'chink chink chink chink' sound. I decided to kill the
engine and try and start it up to make sure it was working. This time
it wouldn't start. Now I suspect the alternator. Before I have a
mechanic change the alternator, could it be something I overlooked?
Sure sounds like it, and the car won't idle after start, (when I start
it up, it dies right away.) What happened and is it my alternator?
|
|
| |
|
|
Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Mar 28, 2010, 3:46 AM
Post #3 of 4
(2080 views)
|
|
Re: Tried to change the radio and now engine dies on going slow.
|
Sign In
|
|
Guesses: This may be the original battery now way past due for a new one. Letting battery run down is bad enough on the battery but without it being charged up properly, slowly it would put maximum strain on alternator and could burn it out
I'd make sure belt is ok and tight enough, test running voltage, age of battery, test it out if necessary to verify it's ok to charge and brace for a new battery and alternator. You won't be thrilled at the labor of replacing that alternator so make sure it's the culprit. Battery and alternators highly depend on each other,
T
|
|
| |
|
|
Sidom
Veteran
/ Moderator
Mar 28, 2010, 2:05 PM
Post #4 of 4
(2070 views)
|
|
Re: Tried to change the radio and now engine dies on going slow.
|
Sign In
|
|
Tom's advise is the one you want to follow 1st. Before anything else you have to have a good battery.......
Once there is a known good battery in the system if your problem is still happening it's possible you have a dirty throttle body & this is just a relearn problem. If this is the case the best solution would be to get some throttle body cleaner, a litter brush, clean rag & clean the throttle body real good. The other option would be to just drive it for a day or so & if it is a relearn problem the comp will eventually compensate for the low idle....
|
|
| |
|
Auto Repair Home
SEARCH
WHO'S 
LOG 
2011 Dodge Nitro OBD scanner seems to drain battery in 10-20 minutes
Grounding Cable, 2017 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk
equipment
Howdy
