Please help with battery problem

Is there anything elecrical that has not been working right? Start looking at that. Do you know how to use an ammeter? Hook it up in-line with the source and either pull fuses one at a time, or pull them all out and put them back in, one at a time. Make sure you can put them back in there correct spot. Any great change in readings means something is pulling too much current. From there, divide and conquer. If the fuse feeds more than one component than disconnect them and start plugging one at a time till you see a big draw in current. It may be something simple though, like your dome light is on or something.

Your alternator needs replacing too. some of the diodes went out, then it could not charge your old battery. better repleace it fast too.

You also may have a small lite that stays on,

The last time my car had these symptoms, it was because the battery terminals and cables had corroded so much that only a trickle of juice was getting through. Either way. They looked clean enough, but there wasn't enough contact being made. I bought a new battery, too.

I was too embarrassed to talk about it at the time. But time has passed.

dwight

You are not the only one who has made this one :0) I won't mention any names but his initials are ME! LOL

And the colder the temps, the faster you are apt to see this problem. I went through a bunch of batteries while living in Maine. Didn't help that all I had was a car port. I solved the problem by taking the battery inside every night. In North Dakota, I drove to a store and parked my 72 Mustang. Walked in the door and glanced back to see the taillights on. Went back to the car, turned off the lights and the car wouldn't start. A local whipped out his jumpers and we got the car started. Ran it for a while and took a chance. Did the shopping and loaded up the car and it started right up. Never had another problem with it.

Are sears diehards still being made by exide on the cheap to ruin a good name?

There are only two things I can think of

1) you have a current drain somewhere, measure the current being pulled from the battery with the car off.

2) You got a defective battery or one that didn't have a full charge. Just because it's new doesn't mean it is fully charged.

Had this too... one car was a drain and the other was a bad alternator. Brand new battery lasted two days. Whatever it is, it isn't the battery.

Brad

Three things can do what your describing. Bad starter, Bad horn, shorted wire to the frame. Get your volt/amp meter out and start looking for the current draw on the starter, look for current draw when the car is off, disconnect the horn temporarily, do it one at a time to narrow down what it might be.

I spent many hours under a 77 chevy truck to find a bare wire hitting the frame and killing the battery.

It's time for the handy dandy test light disconnect your Positive + lead and hook your ground wire of your handy dandy test light to your Ground - poll of the battery and the other end to the positive + lead that you disconnected and if the light comes on the you have something that is draining the battery start pulling fuses. I did this after 4 Batteries and

2 Altenators.. Found the BRAND NEW Pioneer Multi Disc Changer was draining the battery so that little ( Yellow ) wire that keeps your memory for your CD player was CUT end of problem.. I hope this helps

89 5.0 Mustang LX

snipped-for-privacy@sbcglobal.net/index

Just a thought here, have you tried the old alternator test. Start the car, then with engine running, pull the positive battery cable off the battery, if engine dies, usually indicates the alternator needs replacement.

might not be a good idea depending how sensitive the computer is. A '92's might not start flaking out, but I wouldn't try it on my '97 given how it behaved with a bad cell in the battery.

For testing altenator you need a DC voltmeter it should with the engine running be putting out any where from 13.0 - 14.6 VDC that will tell you the alt. is working. Like Brent P. say it may not be a good ideal to disconnect the battery while it is running.

My two cents worth, start the car, take the postive cable off the battery terminal and if the car dies, you now have narrowed your problem down to your charging system. If it continues to run, you know the charging system is functioning.

Hope this helps

Don

Thanks all for your help. It did turn out to be the alternator.

Brian