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Is this a problem with battery, alternator, other?

I have a '98 ES300 and I purchased a battery for it about two months ago. Today when I try to start the car, it doesn't start at all. I took the battery to Pep Boys and they told me that the battery was dead. What could the problem be? I started the car last night and it started perfectly. It never showed any signs that the battery had lost any power (which would be the case if the alternator was wrong and the battery was losing power gradually). So something happened between last night and this morning that the battery went dead. Could it be that the battery was defective or is there something wrong in my car?

Thanks.

Reply to
VMI
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The entire car must be taken to Pep Boys or such place so they can hook it up to the diagnostic machine they have. That will tell you if there is a charge coming from the alternator or if the battery has a defective cell. I have had good experiences with their machine's ability to find the problem.

Reply to
badgolferman

This is a nifty thing to trouble shoot these kinds of problems. I got one like it from Radio Shack years ago. Just stick it in the cigarette lighter socket and watch the lights.

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Reply to
Moe

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