92 Accord LX

I drove my car the other day, parked and when restarted it wouldn't turn over--battery was completely dead.

I got it jump-started, but after letting the engine run at idle for 30 minutes I tried to restart and again battery completely dead. So I tested the battery with a Voltmeter. Here are my readings:

Car off: 14 Volts
Car Started 15 Volts
Car Started with Lights on, flashers on 10 Volts. Lights flicker on dashboard. Then I turn on A/C and radio car stalls.

This seems like an alternator problem to me--am I right? Do you think I can drive it to my mechanic (around 20 miles) with accessories off--without stalling?

Thanks for any advice!

 

Yeah I would check the alternator. Usually car batteries are around 14-15 volts when on. 12 volts when off.

 

Go to autozone or kragen and have them check both the battery and alternator for free. They will perform the tests with them still on your car. For a more thorough test of your alternator, you'll need to remove the alternator for a bench test. IMHO, it's your alternator. You can only bring your battery back from the grave a few times, before it stops holding a charge.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Frisco &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Car off: 14 Volts
Car Started 15 Volts
Car Started with Lights on, flashers on 10 Volts. Lights flicker on dashboard. Then I turn on A/C and radio car stalls.</TD></TR></TABLE>That sounds like the alternator.

Usually it's more like 12 or 13 with the engine off. Turn on your headlights & fan (engine off) & measure the battery again. If it goes down below 11 then it looks like your battery is ALSO bad.

But before you go buy an alternator, make sure the connections (including all grounds) are OK. Loose or corroded connections can act like a bad alternator.

Tell us exactly where you measured those voltages. The battery post itself, or the cable clamps? Then measure again the other way to see if there's a difference.