I jinxed myself!!!

Damn it!!!!! *kick own ass* I jinxed myself bad!

It's hot outside... not nearly as hot as the day before, so I get off my lazy ass & bring out the tools so I can change the rear brake pads.. been a while.. they're squealing.. it's embarassing.. so I figure I'll change 'em. I remember last time it was a complete b*tch to change 'em so I was delaying it for a while. So I start with the driver's side... wow!! 15 minutes tops & it was done. I tell myself that this is a LOT easier than last time.. and that the passenger side will be no problem at all! After 45 minutes of working on the passenger side I am kickin my own ass for saying that it wouldn't be a problem... and within another 30 minutes I had wrestling the damn caliper back on & managed to get the 2 bolts back in. Put tools away. Kicked my own ass again.

An interesting problem.... recently when I turn on my car.. the voltage is VERY low... like nearly killing the car it's so low. It takes maybe ~20 or so seconds before it'll get to normal voltage.. and even then it's on the low side. I can't play the radio and use A/C at same time or it'll get dangerously low at night (when I have headlights on also). Sometimes it doesn't even take the headlights to do it. I replaced the alternator roughly

8~9 months ago, so I don't suspect it's the alternator... battery is about 2 years old.. maybe a little longer. I suppose I should get the battery checked... anything else I should be looking at? As far as battery cables, I cleaned them with baking soda & water.. put a tiny bit of anti-corrosion spray on the battery terminals after cleaning them (shiney silver kinda clean)... thanks in advance.

-Mike

-- A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT Cold air intake FRPP 3.73 gears Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter Full Boar turbo mufflers Hi-speed fan switch

255/60R-15 rear tires
Reply to
<memset
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V'ger jma(NOSPAM)@snowcrest.net

1965 Mustang Fastback 2+2 Vintage Burgundy w/ Black Std Interior 289 ci 4v V8 oem A Code Dual Exhaust C4 Auto converted to AODE 8" Trak Lok Vintage 40 wheels BF Goodrich gForce T/A 225/50ZR-16 KDWS tires Built in San Jose, CA on my birthday, May 10th ; ) Restoration by: Cool Mustang Restorations Cool, CA
Reply to
V'ger

V'ger wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Down here in SoFla batteries last me about 18 months in the LX, 24-36 in the van. The heat just kills them. Not really a problem, as I get new ones pro rated. Of course, the underdrive pulleys in the LX don't help things...

Joe Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC

Reply to
Joe

Where did you buy the alternator? Chances are it could be a bad remanufactured one and failed way too soon. Also if you install a new alternator with a dead battery you can burn out the alt. very quickly because the new brushes need to break in before it can handle a heavy load.

Reply to
Mark

Bought it at a local reputable auto parts store... real nice & professional folks. I'll have the battery tested & see if it's possibly the battery. I'd hate it if it were the alternator.

-Mike

-- A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT Cold air intake FRPP 3.73 gears Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter Full Boar turbo mufflers Hi-speed fan switch

255/60R-15 rear tires

Reply to
<memset

WEll, it is either your battery or your alternator but my guess is it is your alternator. Even with a dead battery, once the car is running the alternator should provide enough juice to keep everything working good. Unless you live in a hot climate like Arizona, the battery should still be good. Take the car to a car shop that can check the alternator in the car. Around here I know checker-auto does it.

Remove NO-SPAM from email address when replying

Reply to
Rein

Remove NO-SPAM from email address when replying

Reply to
Rein

After I cleaned the battery terminals again & screwed with the wires a bit... the voltage is a tad on the low side, but I can use all things that I want (A/C, radio, headlights, hi-speed fan, etc) and it doesn't ever get dangerously low... hmm..

-Mike

-- A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT Cold air intake FRPP 3.73 gears Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter Full Boar turbo mufflers Hi-speed fan switch

255/60R-15 rear tires

Reply to
<memset

Well... I was unable to sleep.. so I went to wal-mart (go figure) & walked around... needed a couple things anyway. I was in the automotive section.. saw zip ties. Was thinking I could zip tie all of the battery cables together (all neg. w/ one, all pos. with another one) and maybe that'd help get more wires to touch the actual battery terminal clamp things. So I figure $1.28... why not. I grab a small bag of 'em.. finish my shopping. Go check out. Get home... try it out. Didn't completely solve the problem, but it definitely made a huge difference. At idle it's a little low with everything going (hi-speed fan, headlights on, radio on, A/C on), but not even close to dying like it was before. I also cleaned the battery terminals again (I just did yesterday). It's in the very middle of "Normal" when I'm driving around. Glad that worked out!!

-Mike

-- A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT Cold air intake FRPP 3.73 gears Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter Full Boar turbo mufflers Hi-speed fan switch

255/60R-15 rear tires

Reply to
<memset

While you're there, check the alternator too. They are just parts.. they can go bad.

Back in the day..... if the battery charged up enough to drive it, then as you drove it everything went kaput like the lights dimming and so on, it was a bad alternator. The sign was that you were running off of the battery and the alternator was not charging it back up again.

Are you terminals clean and tight?

Check them both out, the test is free...

Oh, and just my two cents worth... buy a Motorcraft battery. My experience is that they last longer than the aftermarket styles.

Kate

| >

| > > > I recently had the same problem with charging system.. Everything | > > > was good but while driving at night the lighting got dimmer and | > > > dimmer. Turned out simply to be that the battery had drained down | > > > far enough that the charging system couldn't even break even let | > > > alone recharge. It was recommended that i get a battery "manager" | > > > (not just a battery charger) and leav eit hooked up when the car was | > > > not in use. I did. After the battery was brought up to full charge | > > > the first time, I stopped having problems with the system. | > > >

| > > > On Sat, 28 Aug 2004 20:33:35 GMT, wrote: | > > >

| > > >>Damn it!!!!! *kick own ass* I jinxed myself bad! | > > >>

| > > >>It's hot outside... not nearly as hot as the day before, so I get | > > >>off my lazy ass & bring out the tools so I can change the rear brake | > > >>pads.. been a while.. they're squealing.. it's embarassing.. so I | > > >>figure I'll change 'em. I remember last time it was a complete b*tch | > > >>to change 'em so I was delaying it for a while. So I start with the | > > >>driver's side... wow!! 15 minutes tops & it was done. I tell myself | > > >>that this is a LOT easier than last time.. and that the passenger | > > >>side will be no problem at all! After 45 minutes of working on the | > > >>passenger side I am kickin my own ass for saying that it wouldn't be | > > >>a problem... and within another 30 minutes I had wrestling the damn | > > >>caliper back on & managed to get the 2 bolts back in. Put tools | > > >>away. Kicked my own ass again. | > > >>

| > > >>An interesting problem.... recently when I turn on my car.. the | > > >>voltage is VERY low... like nearly killing the car it's so low. It | > > >>takes maybe ~20 or so seconds before it'll get to normal voltage.. | > > >>and even then it's on the low side. I can't play the radio and use | > > >>A/C at same time or it'll get dangerously low at night (when I have | > > >>headlights on also). Sometimes it doesn't even take the headlights | > > >>to do it. I replaced the alternator roughly 8~9 months ago, so I | > > >>don't suspect it's the alternator... battery is about 2 years old.. | > > >>maybe a little longer. I suppose I should get the battery checked... | > > >>anything else I should be looking at? As far as battery cables, I | > > >>cleaned them with baking soda & water.. put a tiny bit of | > > >>anti-corrosion spray on the battery terminals after cleaning them | > > >>(shiney silver kinda clean)... thanks in advance. | > > >>

| > > >>-Mike | > > >

| > > > V'ger | > > > jma(NOSPAM)@snowcrest.net | > > > 1965 Mustang Fastback 2+2 | > > > Vintage Burgundy w/ Black Std Interior | > > > 289 ci 4v V8 oem A Code | > > > Dual Exhaust | > > > C4 Auto converted to AODE | > > > 8" Trak Lok | > > > Vintage 40 wheels | > > > BF Goodrich gForce T/A 225/50ZR-16 KDWS tires | > > > Built in San Jose, CA on my birthday, May 10th ; ) | > > > Restoration by: Cool Mustang Restorations Cool, CA | > >

| > > Down here in SoFla batteries last me about 18 months in the LX, 24-36 | > > in the van. The heat just kills them. Not really a problem, as I get | > > new ones pro rated. Of course, the underdrive pulleys in the LX don't | > > help things... | > >

| > > Joe | > > Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies | > > Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC | >

| >

| |

Reply to
SVTKate

Wait! Stop right there young man.

Are you saying that you have frayed ends on your cables at the connectors?

I'm gonna slap you.

If I read that right, just put some new clamps on it. If not, are you saying that you have a shitload of wires attached to your clamps at the battery?

C'mere... so I can slap you!

Kate

| > It's hot outside... not nearly as hot as the day before, so I get off my | > lazy ass & bring out the tools so I can change the rear brake pads.. been | a | > while.. they're squealing.. it's embarassing.. so I figure I'll change | 'em. | > I remember last time it was a complete b*tch to change 'em so I was | delaying | > it for a while. So I start with the driver's side... wow!! 15 minutes tops | & | > it was done. I tell myself that this is a LOT easier than last time.. and | > that the passenger side will be no problem at all! After 45 minutes of | > working on the passenger side I am kickin my own ass for saying that it | > wouldn't be a problem... and within another 30 minutes I had wrestling the | > damn caliper back on & managed to get the 2 bolts back in. Put tools away. | > Kicked my own ass again. | >

| > An interesting problem.... recently when I turn on my car.. the voltage is | > VERY low... like nearly killing the car it's so low. It takes maybe ~20 or | > so seconds before it'll get to normal voltage.. and even then it's on the | > low side. I can't play the radio and use A/C at same time or it'll get | > dangerously low at night (when I have headlights on also). Sometimes it | > doesn't even take the headlights to do it. I replaced the alternator | roughly | > 8~9 months ago, so I don't suspect it's the alternator... battery is about | 2 | > years old.. maybe a little longer. I suppose I should get the battery | > checked... anything else I should be looking at? As far as battery cables, | I | > cleaned them with baking soda & water.. put a tiny bit of anti-corrosion | > spray on the battery terminals after cleaning them (shiney silver kinda | > clean)... thanks in advance. | >

| > -Mike | >

| > -- | > A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT | > Cold air intake | > FRPP 3.73 gears | > Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter | > Full Boar turbo mufflers | > Hi-speed fan switch | > 255/60R-15 rear tires | >

| >

| >

| >

| |

Reply to
SVTKate

Me first. :)

anti-corrosion

Reply to
Mark

There aren't frayed ends now... WOMAN!!!!! And I'm in Arkansas so you can't slap me.. and I'm not coming there now!! HAHAHAHAAHAHAAA *run*.

-Mike

-- A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT Cold air intake FRPP 3.73 gears Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter Full Boar turbo mufflers Hi-speed fan switch

255/60R-15 rear tires

anti-corrosion

Reply to
<memset
*smirk* I bet Shug can run faster mad than you can scared!

Really, are you saying that you have frayed ends or something?

| > Are you saying that you have frayed ends on your cables at the connectors? | >

| > I'm gonna slap you. | >

| > If I read that right, just put some new clamps on it. If not, are you | saying | > that you have a shitload of wires attached to your clamps at the battery? | >

| > C'mere... so I can slap you! | >

| > Kate | >

| > | > It's hot outside... not nearly as hot as the day before, so I get off | my | > | > lazy ass & bring out the tools so I can change the rear brake pads.. | > been | > | a | > | > while.. they're squealing.. it's embarassing.. so I figure I'll change | > | 'em. | > | > I remember last time it was a complete b*tch to change 'em so I was | > | delaying | > | > it for a while. So I start with the driver's side... wow!! 15 minutes | > tops | > | & | > | > it was done. I tell myself that this is a LOT easier than last time.. | > and | > | > that the passenger side will be no problem at all! After 45 minutes of | > | > working on the passenger side I am kickin my own ass for saying that | it | > | > wouldn't be a problem... and within another 30 minutes I had wrestling | > the | > | > damn caliper back on & managed to get the 2 bolts back in. Put tools | > away. | > | > Kicked my own ass again. | > | >

| > | > An interesting problem.... recently when I turn on my car.. the | voltage | > is | > | > VERY low... like nearly killing the car it's so low. It takes maybe | ~20 | > or | > | > so seconds before it'll get to normal voltage.. and even then it's on | > the | > | > low side. I can't play the radio and use A/C at same time or it'll get | > | > dangerously low at night (when I have headlights on also). Sometimes | it | > | > doesn't even take the headlights to do it. I replaced the alternator

| > | roughly | > | > 8~9 months ago, so I don't suspect it's the alternator... battery is | > about | > | 2 | > | > years old.. maybe a little longer. I suppose I should get the battery | > | > checked... anything else I should be looking at? As far as battery | > cables, | > | I | > | > cleaned them with baking soda & water.. put a tiny bit of | anti-corrosion | > | > spray on the battery terminals after cleaning them (shiney silver | kinda | > | > clean)... thanks in advance. | > | >

| > | > -Mike | > | >

| > | > -- | > | > A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT | > | > Cold air intake | > | > FRPP 3.73 gears | > | > Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter | > | > Full Boar turbo mufflers | > | > Hi-speed fan switch | > | > 255/60R-15 rear tires | > | >

| > | >

| > | >

| > | >

| > | | > | | >

| >

| |

Reply to
SVTKate

I have 3 cables that make out the "negative" side. 1 big one, 2 smaller ones. I zip-tied them all together so I could fit them all within the battery terminal connector snuggly. It works great now. Did same for positive side.

-Mike

-- A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT Cold air intake FRPP 3.73 gears Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter Full Boar turbo mufflers Hi-speed fan switch

255/60R-15 rear tires

Reply to
<memset

Oh... and I bet Shug can run faster than Elizabeth can any time :P

-Mike

-- A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT Cold air intake FRPP 3.73 gears Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter Full Boar turbo mufflers Hi-speed fan switch

255/60R-15 rear tires

Reply to
<memset

Give it time son... give it time :)

Kate

| > Really, are you saying that you have frayed ends or something? | >

| >

| > | > Are you saying that you have frayed ends on your cables at the | > connectors? | > | >

| > | > I'm gonna slap you. | > | >

| > | > If I read that right, just put some new clamps on it. If not, are you | > | saying | > | > that you have a shitload of wires attached to your clamps at the | > battery? | > | >

| > | > C'mere... so I can slap you! | > | >

| > | > Kate | > | >

| > | > | > It's hot outside... not nearly as hot as the day before, so I get | > off | > | my | > | > | > lazy ass & bring out the tools so I can change the rear brake | pads.. | > | > been | > | > | a | > | > | > while.. they're squealing.. it's embarassing.. so I figure I'll | > change | > | > | 'em. | > | > | > I remember last time it was a complete b*tch to change 'em so I | was | > | > | delaying | > | > | > it for a while. So I start with the driver's side... wow!! 15 | > minutes | > | > tops | > | > | & | > | > | > it was done. I tell myself that this is a LOT easier than last | > time.. | > | > and | > | > | > that the passenger side will be no problem at all! After 45 | minutes | > of | > | > | > working on the passenger side I am kickin my own ass for saying | that | > | it | > | > | > wouldn't be a problem... and within another 30 minutes I had | > wrestling | > | > the | > | > | > damn caliper back on & managed to get the 2 bolts back in. Put | tools | > | > away. | > | > | > Kicked my own ass again. | > | > | >

| > | > | > An interesting problem.... recently when I turn on my car.. the | > | voltage | > | > is | > | > | > VERY low... like nearly killing the car it's so low. It takes | maybe | > | ~20 | > | > or | > | > | > so seconds before it'll get to normal voltage.. and even then it's | > on | > | > the | > | > | > low side. I can't play the radio and use A/C at same time or it'll | > get | > | > | > dangerously low at night (when I have headlights on also). | Sometimes | > | it | > | > | > doesn't even take the headlights to do it. I replaced the | alternator | >

| > | > | roughly | > | > | > 8~9 months ago, so I don't suspect it's the alternator... battery | is | > | > about | > | > | 2 | > | > | > years old.. maybe a little longer. I suppose I should get the | > battery | > | > | > checked... anything else I should be looking at? As far as battery | > | > cables, | > | > | I | > | > | > cleaned them with baking soda & water.. put a tiny bit of | > | anti-corrosion | > | > | > spray on the battery terminals after cleaning them (shiney silver | > | kinda | > | > | > clean)... thanks in advance. | > | > | >

| > | > | > -Mike | > | > | >

| > | > | > -- | > | > | > A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT | > | > | > Cold air intake | > | > | > FRPP 3.73 gears | > | > | > Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter | > | > | > Full Boar turbo mufflers | > | > | > Hi-speed fan switch | > | > | > 255/60R-15 rear tires | > | > | >

| > | > | >

| > | > | >

| > | > | >

| > | > | | > | > | | > | >

| > | >

| > | | > | | >

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Reply to
SVTKate

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