96CivicEXSedan

Ok, well the last two time I started my car, it was sluggish to start but did start on the first try.

I haven't been using it much so I figured it was because it just wasn't being run enough. So, I go to start it the other day and it just does absolutely nothing. Not even a struggle or peep.

I figure it's the battery that is totally dead so a couple days later I try to get a jump from a Titan. We rigged it up to the best of our knowledge. The inside console light of the Civic went on. however, when I try to start the car, again, there is nothing. I tried like 3 times and the best was after letting the Titan run for probably 5 minutes or more the Civic got a flash of light from the radio player. The air was off, and after this I took the faceplate off thinking maybe the radio drew too much power.

There is a blue stamp on the top of the baterry reading "9/08" which I figure is the manufacture date. Or am I wrong? (That seems like a relatively new, <3 years old, battery which should still be good.)

So that leads me to think maybe it's not the battery? I'm a total car newb so I just don't know. I would think having a jump start like I did the car would at least struggle to start since it's using the Titan's battery power. I'd like to not buy a 90 dollar battery if I don't have to, but I need this car to run in 3 days. Thank you.

time-stop eg

it could just be a really dead battery. if its that dead and you get a jump and then turn the car off in a few min and try to turn it back on it might not go on. try getting a jump again and letting the car run for a long time like a few hrs even or take it for a long drive and go back home and then turn it off and try starting it again. but i think it's just the battery. worst comes to worst i think if you buy a battery and try it and it dosn't work you can still return it in the same day.

lunareg

just take that **** up to autozone and they will test it for free and tell if your battery's shot or not.. takes out the guess work..

but i have my money on that it is just dead and gone. if the battery is totally boned even a jump wont help

alphalanos

when you tried to jump it did you connect + to + and - on good car to bare metal on dead car? Also its a good idea to pick up a jump box from auto zone. good thing to have. are the terminals clean and tight.

Sonia's Driver

Sounds like a battery with a pretty serious internal short.

There are plenty of things that you can do to troubleshoot it, but taking the battery to autozone, getting them to charge it and load test it is by far the cheapest and best first step.

If autozone charges the battery and tests it and tells you that it's good, and it still doesn't make your car start, get a multimeter and we'll help you figure out what the problem is.

thenext

You are getting a battery light on the dash? Check your alt belt out too! That light comes not only for a bad battery but your alternator as well.

Sonia's Driver

An internally shorted alternator wouldn't prevent the engine from starting with a jump. Even if it was shorted somehow, it would blow the fuse and then the car would start. The battery and the starter are the only thing that aren't on a fuse. If the starter was shorted, all the electronics would work until the ignition was turned to start - then the voltage would drop off. That leaves the battery as the most probable culprit.

If you don't want to go to Autozone, you can confirm this diagnosis by measuring the voltage of the battery before turning on the ignition, after turning on the ignition, and when trying to start. Also by measuring the voltage of the jumping car before connecting the jumper leads, after connecting them, and when trying to start the car with the dead battery.

If the voltage of the jumping car's battery drops after connecting the jumper leads to your car - it's probably a short in the battery. Try disconnecting the normal leads from the dead battery, and try to start your car only off of the other car's jumper cables. DO NOT DISCONNECT THE JUMPER CABLES FROM THE ENGINE WHILE IT'S RUNNING. IT WOULD BE VERY, VERY BAD.

If your car starts when the battery is disconnected, then your battery is bad.

96CivicEXSedan

Ok here is an update. I bought Schumacher75-/12-/2-Amp Automatic Battery Charger/Maintainer (link to product) from advance auto today.

I did the (SLI mode, not deep cycle) 12A charge for somewhere around 2.5 - 3 hrs. Immediately upon plugging it in, the thing said it had a "full charge". I thought no way, and just left it. It's an automatic setting so i figured no harm could be done.

So after the 2.5 - 3 hours, I disconnected the charger and tried to start my car. No engine turnover at all, not even a struggle. The lights inside work, headlights worked, windows, wiper blades worked too. But no engine noise at all.

After that I tried the 75A "engine start" setting. Doing that made my engine make a noise like it was trying to start. I figured it was progress. So then I waited 5 minutes with the charger going on 75A and tried again. It might have been a little better, but no engine start. Still just a real struggle. The third and final attempt was no better. I waited about 6 minutes between try 2 and 3.

So now I figure I will leave it on 12A mode over night and try the engine tomorrow.

Also, I didn't clean the terminals because I thought the battery connections were working because my lights at least went on. Charge was certainly moving through. Bad move? I don't know enough to know if cleaner terminals ultimately matter or, as I kind of thought, it might just mean it takes longer in a worst case scenario.

The biggest thing that boggles me is why did the charger say I had a "full charge" right from the start?

Former User

Have you taken the battery to an auto parts store for testing?

Tomorrow, remove the battery from the charger and reinstall in the car. Measure battery voltage across the two battery posts. Now repeat the voltage test with the high beam headlights on. Note how rapidly the battery voltage drops. Post the results.

96CivicEXSedan

No I haven't done that. The charger doesn't require the battery to be removed. I don't have a voltmeter either, but I could get one soon. Can't take the battery up to the store tomorrow either, just to point that out.

Thank you for your help and everyone else.

96CivicEXSedan

update... started the car today around probably 3-4PM and it started on the first try just great. Drove it around for a while. Will see if it starts tomorrow!