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BAD WEEK! Need advice, please.
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bevthestar
Novice
Feb 23, 2008, 6:11 AM
Post #1 of 8
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BAD WEEK! Need advice, please.
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Hi! Tuesday, when I left for work, I got a mile down the road and my brakes failed. I turned the car around & went home. My husband took me to work in his car...and his car's transmission died a half mile from my workplace. He rode to my parents' home (60 miles) on a car carrier (thanks, AAA), and returned with my mom's Buick, which stalls inexplicably while being driven, but is otherwise fine. (My dad's a mechanic; does it show?) Back to my car. It's a 1993 Chevy Lumina. I limped her over to a mechanic shop Tuesday night...and picked it up, fixed, Wednesday afternoon (they replaced 10' of brake line). Thursday, I was heading to work. The speedometer went wonky. I got 1/2 mile from home, and lost everything electrical. I didn't even have flashers. AAA towed me to the garage, and I was informed that I had a bad alternator. I had a NEW alternator put in last summer, and informed them of this, and that I doubted it was the problem. I told them I thought a wire must've come loose when the car was on the lift. No, they were sure it was the alternator. They changed it out, and I picked up my car Thursday afternoon. Friday: I turn the key to "on" to let the fuel pump run a moment, and then try to start it. One click, then nothing. And then all electrical stuff went dead. The guys from the garage sent someone out, and he said that the battery isn't holding a charge. He advised me to hook it up to a battery charger overnight. I did, and it's still dead. I've sunk about $500 into my car this week, and I think that it's likely they were wrong in telling me the alternator was in need of fixing. My dad is away, and he's usually the one to ask. I'm not sure where to go from here, and I don't want to put more money in the car without another opinion. Thanks for reading, & for any ideas.~~Bev
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Feb 23, 2008, 7:21 AM
Post #3 of 8
(1458 views)
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Re: BAD WEEK! Need advice, please.
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Ok: The one "click" then dead (is that everything?) usually means a battery cable connection needs cleaning or replacement. Does this car use a remote POS terminal under a cover for jumping? I think it does so all connections must be checked - battery to that thing and on to starter and ground cable at battery and to engine block.
Charging overnight might not have worked if the problem was right at the battery as was said.
How old is the battery? If more than 3 years get a new one. They take it personal going dead a couple times and three years is my cut off for trusting them with four about max. No sense trying to figure out anything electrical with a known good battery and if old testing it may be inconclusive or misleading that it is good.
Ya - sounds like a bad week! The Lumina should be ok with cables checked and serviced as said,
T
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bevthestar
Novice
Feb 23, 2008, 7:28 AM
Post #4 of 8
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Re: BAD WEEK! Need advice, please.
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Hi there! Thanks for the ideas. When we hooked up the charger, it was to...the cables, sort of. Not to the battery directly. There's a stupid bar over the washer fluid container, over the battery.
The garage said they checked the charging rate of the new alternator, and that it was within the desired range. I don't think *they* took the bar off to get directly to the battery, either.
I'm not sure about where to check for connection problems (other than directly at the battery), because...there are some wires that don't go anywhere. I think my dad expected he'd be around if I ever had car trouble...but he won't be back until almost May.
I'm working 7 days a week, and haven't been able to do much to the car myself. I intend to take off that bar and get to the battery, but I'd prefer to do that in daylight...which isn't happening soon. I'll dig out a flashlight & play when I get home at 7:30-ish tonight.
Thanks!
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bevthestar
Novice
Feb 23, 2008, 7:38 AM
Post #5 of 8
(1457 views)
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Re: BAD WEEK! Need advice, please.
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Hi Tom,
Yes, one click (not a several-click dying starter sound), then dead everything [electrical]. No dingings, no fuel pump, no flasher/blinkers, no nothing. It does have a remote POS terminal for jumping. The covers are gone. (Oh, how it makes me wish for the Tempo--turn the key on, and touch a screwdriver to the connections...vroom!)
The battery is likely old enough to replace--I've had the car a year & a half, and it's quite possible my dad put in a used battery to begin with. I don't mind replacing it--I wish I knew more about the connections...I do mind that I may have gotten an alternator unnecessarily...but I don't know if I have any way to prove that.
Thanks for the tips! I'll do some checking, and get the battery replaced...and hopefully, that'll be it...
~~Bev
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Feb 23, 2008, 8:44 AM
Post #6 of 8
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Re: BAD WEEK! Need advice, please.
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Get the battery. This equates to checking out a fuel system without knowing if there's gas in it if you know what I mean.
Alternators: There's almost no need to buy one without a lifetime warranty - minus labor of course.
The reason for the remote jumper spot is that the positive battery cable at the battery is in a lousy location. It's just a post put in line for testing and jumping if needed and if the difficult connection at the battery is the problem it isn't going to charge or help much - it might jump start but if battery is dead enough it won't keep running when disconnected.
It's just some plastic junk - perhaps air snorkling for the engine that makes the batter a pill to get at. That solonoid you were talking about on a Tempo is right on the starter on GM cars - not on the fender. That trick wouldn't work either if the battery connections were at fault.
the battery cables are much fatter than regular wire around the engine. If you follow them the ground goes to the engine block and may have a pigtail to the body. Positive goes to that thingy and on again to the starter. It's probably only one connection but would be nice to check them all out. In a jam - sometimes you can just give a bad connection of a cable a tug and it will go one more time for you. Still won't help if the battery is toast.
You can avoid those connection problems by just periodically spraying some grease on them and they go a very long time without troubles once cleaned and good,
T
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bevthestar
Novice
Feb 23, 2008, 11:24 AM
Post #7 of 8
(1446 views)
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Re: BAD WEEK! Need advice, please.
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Hi Tom,
Excellent guidance--I don't think I'll have any trouble checking those things & changing the battery out is easy enough. It may take a few days, but I'll post a follow-up on how it goes. Thank you!
~~Bev
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bevthestar
Novice
Mar 2, 2008, 12:33 PM
Post #8 of 8
(1424 views)
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Re: BAD WEEK! Need advice, please.
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Okay, sorry for the delay. Got a new battery & put it in...took her for a good, long, cold ride...and she's started every day for 4-5 days...so...let's hope that's it for now. Thanks all!~~Bev
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