I can't seem to figure out why my battery keeps dying, 82 volvo sedan
2.1l. manual transmission. The battery is brand new, the alternator just had been rebuilt. My batery light dosent' come on when driving. It seems like alternator is not working. What 's up?I jumped the car with the dead battery , and it ran fine , but when I would turn on the lights, the car would die. Should the car run with the lights on with a weak battery? Does this mean the alternator is not working?
You need a volt meter for this test, but read the battery with the engine off...it should be around 12.6 volts.
Read the battery voltage now with the engine ON it should be around
14.x volts, if your alternator is working at all.Finally, this is the trick because you need a clamp meter, read the B+ wire from the alternator going to the battery. On my vehicle, with all the electrics going, it is 66 amperes. You should read something in the double digits with all -your- electrics on, like hi beams, heater blower motor on high, etc. etc.
Lg
I would be checking out the belt for a polished or loose one. I test for a polished belt by taking a cold off engine and seeing if I can hand slip the alternator pulley. If I can, the belt is polished up and won't grab under load so the battery only gets a surface charge.
If the belt is loose, the crank pulley needs a washer moved from the center to the outside I believe.
A test with a meter is in order if that isn't it.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >
Let me get this straight. You replaced the battery and alternator then tried to start the car but the battery was dead. So you jumpered a live battery, started the engine then immediately turned on the headlights and the engine died.
My guess is the battery was completely discharged and the minute the lights came on there was not enough juice to carry the lights and the ignition so the engine died. Solution I think is to give the battery a complete charge with a battery charger.
I don't remember if O.P. said -he- put in a new battery or someone else did it for him.
IF O.P. just bought one *off the shelf,* damn _certain_ it needs a full charge from a plug in battery charger...no doubt about it. If someone else installed the battery for him, this should have already been done for him.
Hard to tell in these one paragraph complaints what should be mentioned but is not.
Lg
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