Car Issue

Tw4win

Ok guys, here's the problem...

2001 Nissan Altima
Battery never replaced
Replaced Alternator in 2006

I drove to the store tonight...car started fine, etc... When I'm done shopping I get in my car, turn the key and nothing happens. Car won't start. At first I think it's the battery so I have someone give me a jumpstart. Still nothing.

Headlights, radio, AC/HEAT won't function. However, the power locks still work (post jump, not sure about before) and some of the dashboard lights will light up when I turn the key in the ignition (again, post jump but I'm not sure about before - wasn't paying attention).

There was a lot of corrosion on the (+) battery terminal and we didn't wait very long for the battery to charge when attempting the jump. How long should one wait in that situation or should the car start ASAP?

Any idea what could be wrong with the car?

I'm going to have it towed in the morning but I'd like some idea of what I'm getting myself into tonight.

EvilMuffin

I have known corrosion to be bad enough on terminals to make charging with aligator clamps take forever. Before having it towed I would take WD-40 and a wire brush out there clean the terminals as well as the positive and Negative leads as best you can, then have a friend attempt the jump again. Your battery may be gone to the point it will not hold the charge. So after a few minutes of attempting to charge, if the cars lights are all on and working but it still will not start, try having him rev his motor a bit to get you going. This may not fix it at all, but there is a solid chance it will save you from a two truck and a garage bill.

wallabeeX

EvilMuffin wrote: »

I have known corrosion to be bad enough on terminals to make charging with aligator clamps take forever. Before having it towed I would take WD-40 and a wire brush out there clean the terminals as well as the positive and Negative leads as best you can, then have a friend attempt the jump again. Your battery may be gone to the point it will not hold the charge. So after a few minutes of attempting to charge, if the cars lights are all on and working but it still will not start, try having him rev his motor a bit to get you going. This may not fix it at all, but there is a solid chance it will save you from a two truck and a garage bill.

Solid advice. I've had batteries just not charge on a jump at all because of corrosion. If the corrosion was that bad, don't be surprised if the terminal wires are effectively useless, and may need to be replaced or, at the very least, need clamps replaced.

Tw4win

The Neg (-) terminal was fine but the Pos. (+) was caked with corrosion, for reference. Would that cause it?

TexiKen

Tw4win wrote: »

The Neg (-) terminal was fine but the Pos. (+) was caked with corrosion, for reference. Would that cause it?

It wouldn't hurt to clean it first just to see.

If you are turning but are hearing a click, then it will be the starter. Happened on my '99 Maxima. And after I replaced it with a Delco starter, 7 starts later it died. Had to use a Bosch instead. So don't doubt the start just because it was replaced recently

If you are getting no sound, it could be the battery, but you are getting power to other things, so I can't see that being the problem. That plus a dying start can make it hard to start and turn over.

But clean those terminals every month or so. Just a dry toothbrush when filling up with gas or filling wiper fluid will help out.

Tw4win

I did not hear a click at all. Just power locks working and some dash lights. However, I'm not 100% sure they were on before the initial jump. In fact, I don't think they were then. Just after the jump but I was flustered before so I can't be totally sure.

Fats

Tw4win wrote: »

The Neg (-) terminal was fine but the Pos. (+) was caked with corrosion, for reference. Would that cause it?

It just happens. There are some products that slow it down, but it's easiest just to give em a good wire brushing every once in a while. Remove the leads and get underneath them if you can.

No click at all says battery connection problem to me. The battery itself usually doesn't fail that suddenly.

Nitsuj82

I don't mean to be a dick that points out the easy stuff, but was your wheel locked? I had a 98 Altima (GLE muthafucka, what), and would have to make sure the steering wheel was just so in order to get the ignition to turn.

Tw4win

Nitsuj82 wrote: »

I don't mean to be a dick that points out the easy stuff, but was your wheel locked? I had a 98 Altima (GLE muthafucka, what), and would have to make sure the steering wheel was just so in order to get the ignition to turn.

No, that wasn't the problem.

I just can't believe that the alternator would go like that, especially without any warning symptoms...I think I'll try the battery again.

Tw4win

If it was a bad alternator, wouldn't the car star and then die while driving? I was driving for a good 10-15 minutes without a problem. It was only after I stopped that the car wouldn't start.

Aurin

I've had it happen to me before in an 02 Camaro. Drove up to the convenience store, got out, went inside for maybe 5 minutes, came back out, and the car wouldn't start.

Cleaned the terminals and it started right up.

Strange as hell. >.>

Tw4win

Thinking back with a bit clearer head, the guy who gave me the jump was having trouble connecting the jumper cable to his positive terminal. I'm thinking (hoping) that i just need a better jump.

skyybahamut

My alternator gave out on me (ball baring seized) a week ago. In mid traffic. Going 60 mph on a 3 lane freeway. By the time I pulled off the freeway I had smoke coming out from under my hood. The bastard was on fire! Thank god for snow 'cause I woulda been screwed otherwise. $477.80 later I have my car back in working order.

TD RL: car alternator started on fire+large (for me) bill = skyybahamut getting a newer car

a penguin

yeah, alternators can go like that (if that's the problem).

Clean the terminal until it's shiny as your first measure. I keep a "battery terminal cleaner" (fancy inside-out wire brush thingy) in my glove box for just such occasions. Works as advertised, and is always around when I need it.

It could either be that the battery is dead and will no longer hold a charge (how old is the battery?), or the alternator is dead. You can always take the battery to autozone or walmart or whatever and they'll put a good charge into it for you, or at least test it and see what's what. If the battery is fine, and the car starts when you put it back in, then it's probably the alternator. Once again, places like autozone will test your alternator for free. Then you can take it from there.

Or, if you happen to have a multimeter, you can just check the voltage accross the battery terminals. Should be ~12.5 with the car off, in the neighborhood of 14 with the car running.

Tw4win

Looking at jumper cables online I noticed THIS. Jumper cables that plug into the cigarette lighters of both cars in order to provide the jump. Anyone have any experience with them? Are they any more or less effective than normal cables?

Also, if my battery terminal is corroded would a cable like this help me bypass that?

a penguin

I've never used them, but yeah, they would byass the corrosion for the jump.

The problem there is that the corrosion is still causing a problem. It's still giving you shitty contact between the battery cables and the battery posts, so you still need to clean them.

Which reminds me, be sure to clean the battey cable ends when you clean those posts. Be careful.

RNEMESiS42

Just clean the corroded terminal like people have suggested, and give it a try again. That's the easiest solution. If it doesn't work, go to Sears or Autozone to have them check to see if it's dead, or like a penguin said, use a multimeter to check the voltage across the battery (doesn't require lugging a 50 lb battery around).

AtomBomb

Sounds like the battery to me. I'm surprised that it lasted as long as it did, but I live in AZ and we kill batteries really fast because of the heat.

*pointless anecdote* When my battery died recently (in my 2005 VW) it was really sudden. On the way to work (my first day at the job no less) my wife and I stopped at the post office to get mail out of work's PO box (she works at the same place). Turned off the car, got the mail, got back in and no start. Wasn't even trying to start. It started fine that morning 15 minutes earlier. We eventually get a jump and I get it into the parking garage at work. 8 hours later it's dead again, but I planned ahead and we're pointed downhill. I get it started, but if the engine isn't revving it tries to stall. Get it home, eventually get the battery replaced, and now it's great again.

As far as the cigarette lighter thing; it doesn't sound like it would work as well to me. You never know what gauge of wire is going to a cigarette lighter. It certainly thinner than your standard quality jumper cables, or even low-end dollar store cables for that matter.

Ruckus

I don't think those cigarette lighter things are meant to actually Boost the vehicle, I think they're to partially recharge a dead but still recoverable battery using power from a working vehicle. Most cars would probably blow a fuse if you tried to crank using power through a lighter plug.