okay guys, here's the problem:
recently i got my car back from the bodyshop after having some minor repairs taken care of. now, the battery refuses to hold a charge--everytime i go to drive the car, i need to either pushstart it or get a jump from someone. the battery is always completely dead--so dead that it won't even eject my cd from the player. once the car is started, it runs absolutely fine and powers lights/radio/etc. my question is what exactly do you think the problem is? i've head that once our batteries are allowed to die completely, they're garbage and you just need to replace them. if this is the case, how much would an OEM replacement cost? also, would you recommend any aftermarket batteries? before you tell me to make the shop cover the cost of the battery, please keep in mind that the shopowner is a family friend and he cut me a killer deal on the work done. thanks in advance!
-tony

 

how long have your trips been while your driving your car?

and how long has it been since you replaced your battery?

 

it's the original battery (2000 ITR with 21k miles) and the trips have been anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour and a half.

 

well, either take it to sears (they have a battery recharge station i think) or let the car idle for about an hour.

if it still doesnt hold a charge, just swap the battery. its not the cheapest thing in the world but batteries dont last forever either

 

yeah, i tried throwing the battery on a charger for a while but that didn't seem to help. i guess new battery it is, then. thanks for your help. i'm just glad it isn't a more serious problem.

 

Sounds like it could also be an alternator problem too. Check that next if the battery is not the problem.


[Modified by Lynx, 1:13 PM 11/23/2002]

 

i thought that too, but i was under the impression that if the alternator was going bad, then i'd notice dimmer/flickering headlights and things of that nature. is this incorrect?

 

yeah, i was thinking alternator ...but by the year/mileage on his vehicle, i somewhat threw that out the window, though it is, certainly, possible.

 

Pep Boy carry one for less than $60. That's where I got mine to replace the 25K miles original battery. Don't you worry, it's just the battery.


[Modified by CW-ITR, 9:29 PM 11/23/2002]

 

the batterey does not charge your lights or your radio once the car is started or driving. might be your alternator.

 

get a multimeter and check the battery voltage. with the car off the battery should read 12.5-13v at least. if lower, you might have a battery problem.

to check alternator, hook the multimeter to the battery and start the car. run the car at about 1500-2000 rpm. voltage should read somewhere about 15v or at least higher thatn 13.2v. if it is, your alternator is most likely working fine.

btw, shouldn't the battery still be under warrenty if your car is a 2000?

 

unscrew the screw on the batter and see if it is blue (good), red (needs more water) or clear (bad).


my battery started going bad and I put some water in it and it was fine.

distilled water

 

that's why i think it's the battery...the lights and radio are absolutely fine once the car starts running.

thanks for all the info, everybody!

 

i am having simialr problems and was wodnering if cluster flicker is normal. whenever my turning signal is on it dims. so it will dim and then get light and then dim at the same beat that my signal is going. i hope i do not have another problem to fix.

 

does anyone know if the acura dealer will have the voltmeter??? I would like to go today and get things checked out. I'm thinking alternator because my car is running, and then when I turn on my signals at nigh it dims. Could it be the HID's draining all the power from the alternator?

 

get a cheap mutimeter from Radio Shack, wal-mart, etc. should run about $10 or less.

if you think it's the hids, do you still have the same problem when only your parking lights are on?

 

battery from kragen autoparts for around ~40.

 

Since the car is still under warranty, take it to the dealer and let them figure it out. If it is the battery, it should be replaced under warranty.

 

Reading the voltage of the battery will tell you little about it's ability to hold a charge - only it's current state of voltage.

You need to take it to somewhere where they can do a load test on the battery - if the battery does poorly on the load test - then turf it and get a new one.

 

that's true, however he has to start somewhere in his troubleshooting. also, doing the 2 tests I mentioned will tell if the battery or the alternator might be the problem.

 

the reason that i'm thinking it's the battery is the fact that everything was fine until the car went into the bodyshop. i'm thinking that they just let the battery died...or at least that's what i'm hoping...