Random dead battery?
09-25-2008, 07:03 PM
#1
Random dead battery?
No starting issues what so ever...EVER
Get out of school, starts fine. Pick up dad, starts fine. Car is at home in garage, go to start it and it doesn't ****ing do anything. Lights dim to **** and steering column makes a weird noise.
54,xxx miles on the car
Can it seriously be a dead battery out of no where like that?
I did NOT run the radio with the car off.
getting battery checked now, but discuss please
Get out of school, starts fine. Pick up dad, starts fine. Car is at home in garage, go to start it and it doesn't ****ing do anything. Lights dim to **** and steering column makes a weird noise.
54,xxx miles on the car
Can it seriously be a dead battery out of no where like that?
I did NOT run the radio with the car off.
getting battery checked now, but discuss please
09-25-2008, 08:56 PM
#5
did other things work in your car? could be your starter or a fuse or any number of things. I wouldn't put my money on dead battery.
Did you jump start it or what? did that work if you did?
Did you jump start it or what? did that work if you did?
09-25-2008, 09:22 PM
#7
had the same problem ... batt was dead ... the symptoms were longer crank.. and finally one night i was stuck in flushing after dinner went to start up and all i heard was clicking... had a friend to boost it ... then was fine for that night.. the next morning was going to get new batt .. but started same thing .. clicking ... so had someone boosted and got new batt right away ... till now no problems. replaced back in may ... of this yr... car is better.. cranks faster...
09-26-2008, 05:36 AM
#9
Prior to it being dead, the thing started perfectly without dimming lights or anything. When I went to start it, the lights dimmed and when I hit the brake pedal, they dimmed even more. Tried turning my HIDs on, but they just flickered so I turned them off.
The battery test said that it was a dead battery, so I went with a new AutoCraft battery with a 2 year warranty and 585 cranking power, which is 15 more than OEM, so I think I'll be good. $79.99 and $90.xx out the door with a terminal cleaner from AutoZone.
The battery test said that it was a dead battery, so I went with a new AutoCraft battery with a 2 year warranty and 585 cranking power, which is 15 more than OEM, so I think I'll be good. $79.99 and $90.xx out the door with a terminal cleaner from AutoZone.
Last edited by !PrjctMax!; 09-26-2008 at 05:38 AM.
09-26-2008, 05:41 AM
#10
Exactly what happened to mine. Went to work out, finished, tried to leave...me embarrassed as everyone looks at me through the windows of the gym with my sweet maxy with its hood up...dead battery. Went with redtop like Alan said. Yes everything was working fine before. Glad you got it fixed.
09-26-2008, 06:40 AM
#11
Nations 1st 6th Gen Turbo
iTrader: (15)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Displaced New Yorker in Southern, MD
Posts: 10,202
IMO your alternator may be suspect, normally dimming of lights is an indication that the power is coming from the battery verse the alternator which is not recharging the battery. Just a guess since I'm not there...
09-26-2008, 09:41 AM
#13
That's what happened to me with my '90 SE. I was driving home one night and swung by a gas station for a fill-up. When I went to start the car, it wouldn't start at all. There were no prior signs at all; the car always fired up without any indication that the battery was weak. When I had my Mustang, I knew weeks in advance when the battery was going to die. These newer cars seem to be less tolerant of weak batteries.
09-27-2008, 07:01 PM
#16
This Space for Rent
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Phila., PA
Posts: 339
same thing happend to me.... started fine all day then- nothing. click click click.
lucky for me, it was parked in my driveway and i didnt get stranded somewhere.
it was the original battery (2004) with about 30K miles on the car
lucky for me, it was parked in my driveway and i didnt get stranded somewhere.
it was the original battery (2004) with about 30K miles on the car
09-27-2008, 07:25 PM
#17
09-28-2008, 10:17 AM
#18
Newbie
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 66
Thats just how it happens sometimes. You can have your alt tested too, or you can just test it at home. Some people say that doing this is not good for your car but i have done it before with other cars and no problem. I wouldnt do it 20 times but once should tell you if your alt is working or not. Here we go...
When you turn your car on, your car gets the power to turn itself on from your battery. Once your car is on the car gets all of it power from the alt.
(Unless you have subwoofers that you can hear 3 miles away and TVs in your headrest and visors, in which case the demand for power is so great the you, in essence, max out the alt and start getting the rest of your power from the battery.)
At which point the alt recharges the battery over a 10 to 15 mintue period. So to test your alt at home to see if your car is getting its power from the alt like it is suppose to or getting its power from the battery, simply turn your car on, open the hood, and disconnect the positive terminal on your battery. If after a minute your car is still running then it is getting its power from the alt and your alt is okay. If it dies then your alt is bad and your car is resorting to the battery as its power source.
When you turn your car on, your car gets the power to turn itself on from your battery. Once your car is on the car gets all of it power from the alt.
(Unless you have subwoofers that you can hear 3 miles away and TVs in your headrest and visors, in which case the demand for power is so great the you, in essence, max out the alt and start getting the rest of your power from the battery.)
At which point the alt recharges the battery over a 10 to 15 mintue period. So to test your alt at home to see if your car is getting its power from the alt like it is suppose to or getting its power from the battery, simply turn your car on, open the hood, and disconnect the positive terminal on your battery. If after a minute your car is still running then it is getting its power from the alt and your alt is okay. If it dies then your alt is bad and your car is resorting to the battery as its power source.
09-29-2008, 08:39 AM
#19
this is great. I just replaced my battery about 7 months ago with a yellow top. I have the same problem, however I have a screw on terminal quick disconnect for my battery for a quick reset when at the track. I just unscrew wait a minute then screw back on and car starts right up. I was thinking it had something to do with the kill switch for the alarm. Being that a quick reset solves it each time I doubt the battery just gains amps while disconnected for that minute. I was actually going to take it to my alarm shop and ask them after I check my chip in the key to make sure it's still good with a good signal. How many of you have aftermarket alarms installed?
09-29-2008, 12:14 PM
#20
Very common issue on our cars. They just suddenly go. I learned one thing from my experience. If you drive short trips and use a lot of electronics inside you should pull the battery out at least once a year and give it a good old fashioned charge overnight. Otherwise you face battery stratiation and you're fcuked, well not you, the battery is.
I went through two in 36 months. Got a red top at Costco and so far so good. I will however pull it out in a month or so and fully charge it before the winter.
I went through two in 36 months. Got a red top at Costco and so far so good. I will however pull it out in a month or so and fully charge it before the winter.
09-29-2008, 02:15 PM
#23
NINE-time Maxima Owner
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Charlotte
Posts: 680
Same thing happened to me last week... no indications of any problems whatsoever until it was DEAD... and wouldn't take a charge either. Happened on the weekend, left the charger on Sunday night... after 10 hours on external charger just barely started. Went straight to AutoZone 7:30am Monday morning and was out with a new battery installed in less than 15 minutes, including testing battery (bad) and charging system (ok). Wouldn't even take a tip for the quick service. Been fine since.
Car was @ 26mos/28.5k miles. The OEM battery was still under Nissan warranty (prorated - 75% coverage), but I couldn't be bothered waiting half day there or leaving car and getting ride to work and back. Plus I figured that paying 25% of an exhorbitant OEM MSRP wouldn't have been that far off of what I paid AutoZone, anyway.
My '01 and '03 OEM batteries died in exactly the same no-warning manner.
Car was @ 26mos/28.5k miles. The OEM battery was still under Nissan warranty (prorated - 75% coverage), but I couldn't be bothered waiting half day there or leaving car and getting ride to work and back. Plus I figured that paying 25% of an exhorbitant OEM MSRP wouldn't have been that far off of what I paid AutoZone, anyway.
My '01 and '03 OEM batteries died in exactly the same no-warning manner.
Last edited by jcalabria; 09-29-2008 at 02:20 PM.
09-04-2015, 06:17 PM
#25
Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 267
Turn lights on and crank engine. If lights do not dim its not the batt. At least that was true for the earlier cars.
Last edited by Roymg; 09-04-2015 at 06:19 PM.
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