Re: Won't start

Who can tell me how to tell if it is the battery or the alternator? I

> just returned from a long trip with my pick up and didn't have any > problems until I got home and tried to start it. Volt meter is near > zero. I tried to jump it with no success. Can you start a car by > jumping it if the battery is bad? Thanks in advance for any help. >

if the battery is nearly dead you are going to have to get it charged. The one downside of alternators is they have to have voltage to make voltage. If the battery drops too low they dont put out, and the vehicle wont run. If your asking will it crank with a jump, again it depends on how dead it is. If the connections are corrodedit just makes it worse. There are lots of unanswered questions in your request. YMM is always needed, Year, Make and Model. How old is the battery? Have you checked that the battery connections are clean and tight? What is a long trip? To some that might mean 50 miles, to others a couple thousand.

And if you do get it started DO NOT remove the battery cables while it is running to see if its charging. Unless you like buying ECMS. That method went out

30 years ago. Do it to an early ford, no ecm but electronic ignition and you will buy a new ignition module.

While on this subject, the proper way to jump start. Vehicle providing the boost is shut off before the cables are connected. Regardless of wither the vehicle being jumped starts or not the vehicle providing the boost is shut off before the cables are disconnected. The reason for this method is to avoid damaging the computer systems on the vehicle providing the boost. If the vehicle being jumped has a severly discharged battery it will pull a ton of amps and cause a hefty voltage drop. When the cables are removed, the amp load goes away, you get a massive voltage spike. Computers do not like huge voltage fluctuations.

Whitelightning

Reply to
Whitelightning
Loading thread data ...

You can jump start it IF you have a good set of jumper cables. The cheap ones are junk.

Al

Reply to
Big Al

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.