so the day started off normal wake up decided to wash the car and put on the summer wheels and tires and run some arrands before work. well 10 mins before i go to work i hit jnb (jack in the box) i go out to start my car and nothing i get a faint clicking poped the hood no corrosion and no loose connections. jumped the car from a friendly with some jumper cables and it drove to work with no problems but when i parked it and retried there was nothing there. now i have an amp and it was professionally installed and all that b.s. and that was two years ago and have had no problems ever. now my questions are; normal or does it sound like more of problem b/c it just all of a sudden stoped charging no signs whatsoever.
and will the dealer hassel me for having a lil amp for my sub if i go into have it checked out?
any help would ease my mind thank you

 

Same exact thing happened to my sister's 07 sedan. Turned on fine after an oil change. I go to move the car and when I put the key to the "on" position, the lights go dim and starts "clicking" as you say. The engine will not turn over at all either.
Same here, the car will start just fine with a jump. I checked the battery and the "eye" thing is still green so I assume it still has a charge. I mean, it did start fine a few minutes before....

Some ideas that I thought it could be would be a possible blown fuse, immobilizer, other keys in my pocket.

 

Were you listen to the radio the whole time while washing your car coulda of drained alot of the battery there, but shoulda charged back up while driving, so i would check some fuses. Not sure on the dealer thing but my guess would be the would give you a hard time.

 

- Check the battery with a volt meter. It should be 12V and 14V with the engine running. If 14V running, your alt is good.

- Check again after you let the car sit for a while. Does the battery still hold 12V?

- Do not always count on the battery eye. It could be green, but the battery is still bad (see next)

- CCA - Cold Crank Amp is just as important. Most volt meter we have at home can't read that. A nornal battery will need about 530. I think you need about 400 to turn a (small) 4 cylinder engine (like the Civic). In the 330 range, you'll be really pushing your luck from being stuck somewhere.

I just learned all of this about battery when my minivan won't start - 2005 model. We run the DVD player alot and every summer, run both ACs. So our battery could not last even 3/36.

So since you got an amp, how strong? No matter, it still takes a lot, and will wear out the battery a lot faster. Second time around, get a stronger batter and/or check it often when you feel it's time.

P.S.

- Battery can die with NO warning. Not even a weak crank.

- Dealer should not hassle you about an amp. A normal audio set up is perfectly acceptable.

- Take it to a place that can check your battery for free. I find Walmart (super) to be great because they don't pressure you for other service (they don't do all the other service). Battery is cheap too. Or Sears, Pepboys, etc. ASK about the CCA. Don't just let them change your battery if that's not the case.





Modified by GoLowDrew at 8:50 AM 6/27/2008

 

Thanks GoLowDrew. Lots of helpful tips right there.

I didn't think that it would be the battery since it started up with no problems minutes before, but I'll have my dad check out the battery with a volt meter to see if it's the alternator. After I jump started it, I went for a 15 minute drive. When I got back, I turned it off and it wouldn't turn back on.

Any idea what fuses I should check and where they are located?

 

just take it to the dealer, well do a battery test and let you know the outcome. 9/10 its a bad battery. they "should" last 43-46 months in a warm climate. but 2 years with a mild audio setup could cause early battery failure. if it needs replaced, itll be cheap and youll be on your way. i get like 3 or 4 scenarios like this every day at my dealership.