battery vs alternator

My 1997 Sunaru Outback would not start this morning. The battery wasn't delivering enough power to get things going. It started right up on the first crank when using jumper cables. I drove around the city for a couple hours. Immediately after parking it didn't start. Would you start by replacing the battery or consider getting a new alternator?

Thanks.

John

Reply to
Redlocks
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Does charge light go out shortly after car starts & then stay off? If so, prob battery. If it *is* staying on, check that the belt's still intact and tensioned before you start ripping things out....

Easiest is to drive somewhere and get battery function/condition checked. Takes a couple of minutes and shouldn't cost, especially if you end up buying your battery there! Cheers

Reply to
hippo

Sorry. I didn't include your post 1st time. Oops! Relevant comments are in that one though. Cheers

Reply to
hippo

Hi,

How old is the battery? If it's five years old (or older), I wouldn't even think twice about replacing it "automatically." (I don't care what kind of "warranty" is shown on the case label, the "real life expectancy" of batteries drops pretty quickly after five years IME.) Then have the alternator checked w/ the new battery. Weak batteries are hard on alternators--it's not unheard of for an alternator to go out shortly after replacement of a bad battery and the owner doesn't realize the two events are related: the old alternator was often just holding on by a thread. Or, if a "bad" alternator's replaced, and a "bad" battery is left in the system, the "new" alternator may take a powder way prematurely, too.

If the battery is newer, I'd head to the parts shop and ask 'em if they have the equipment to test both it and the alternator to decide how much needs replacement. Most of the bigger ones do. And, as Hippo said, the cost is usually none to minimal if you end up buying something from them.

Rick

Reply to
Rick Courtright

Replace the battery and I bet the problem goes away. It's statistically far far more likely to be teh culprit. If you haven't replaced the battery in a few years it's due anyway.

Then, if the problem recurs after a while with a new battery, then you'll have reason to suspect voltage regulator/alternator.

Or, if you have a shope that'll do it reasonably, have em test the electrical system and do a quick load test on the battery. That'd be diagnostic. But if you're a DIY kind of person, throw a battery at the problem and I bet ya a quarter your issue goes away.

-- Todd H.

2001 Legacy Outback Wagon, 2.5L H-4 Chicago, Illinois USA
Reply to
Todd H.

It does sound like your battery is the culprit, but on top of what others have said, are the battery terminals clean? Do the headlights dim some or almost die out when cranking? If they just dim, it could be the starter too.

Good luck.

Redlocks wrote:

Reply to
AS

In my area, the auto parts stores, like Auto Zone, Advance, etc... will load test a battery for free. Since a battery is so easy to remove, why not test it to remove any doubt? If it's bad, you can buy one on the spot.

Reply to
Bonehenge

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