Old car question

[007]

I jumpstarted and drove for almost one hour. There is some electricity in the battery now. But it is the same as the last time when I started the car but not drove: when I stopped, the car cannot be started again!

I found that + connector is very tight, but - connector is a bit loose but still connected. This should not be the point.

Do you see a red light on dashboard? If yes, your generator is dying and you should have it replaced promptly. or it's the battery. You can take your battery to a repair shop and have it checked.... you will know its condition. In any case, it would be wise to stop driving your car before the issue is resolved unless you like your car by the side of the road...

When a generator is dying, it may drain the batteries....that's one of the reasons why a car parked outside for a day or two refuses to start. I had the same problem a few months ago.

[somequest]

No red light on the dashboard. If generator is broken, does it mean that there won't be electricity for use, such as air conditioner?

I tried that, when the car starts, air conditioner can work, and windows can be opened. But when the car is off, windows can hardly be closed.

So is it still the problem of the battery? But that the seller said the battery was almost new 2 months ago. Can it be dead so fast?

If so, can I directly buy a battery and install by myself? I think it is the easiest and cheapest way. Just the last try before Christmas.

[Upphew]

Can it be dead so fast?

Yes, if you let the battery run down and it freezes. And it is not dead if you empty it but don't charge it, if by dead you mean broken.

[somequest]

Can it be dead so fast?

Yes, if you let the battery run down and it freezes. And it is not dead if you empty it but don't charge it, if by dead you mean broken.

Can I have any way to recover it (driving 1 hour not helped so much)?

[007]

If so, can I directly buy a battery and install by myself? I think it is the easiest and cheapest way. Just the last try before Christmas.

based on your info, i suspect it's the generator which is dying.... and battery costs you about 100€, so does the generator. Without knowing first which one is at fault, i won't throw my money replacing either of them.

If i were you, I would have the battery first tested at a repair shop. it might cost 5-10€. Once you are sure that you need to change the battery, then you change it. you can do it yourself. it's easy. if the battery is fine, then it's very much likely that the generator is the one, which needs replacement.

[007]

Can it be dead so fast?

Yes, if you let the battery run down and it freezes. And it is not dead if you empty it but don't charge it, if by dead you mean broken.

Can I have any way to recover it (driving 1 hour not helped so much)?

You can also recharge the battery with a battery charger. I have a battery charger like this in my car.

[Kai]

I jumpstarted and drove for almost one hour. There is some electricity in the battery now. But it is the same as the last time when I started the car but not drove: when I stopped, the car cannot be started again!

I found that + connector is very tight, but - connector is a bit loose but still connected. This should not be the point.

There's your problem, tighten the loose connection.

If your alternator was not working you would not have been able to drive for an hour with a flat battery and a jump start.

You say the battery is 2 months old, unlikely that it has already failed but possible.

A loose connection to your battery will definitely cause the symptoms you have.

Tighten the connection and then jump start if necessary and go for a drive to charge the battery.

[Honest]

I am pretty sure that your battery is low in charge. And most probably you have already damaged it by using the little charge it gathers with your one hour and half hour drives and emptying it again and again and keeping it empty.

When you start a car it needs a short burst of current from the battery, if battery is only 10/20 % charged it might not be able to give that burst. You would still be able to open the windows but that doesn't mean it should also be able to start the car.

Why don't you understand that if a battery is completely discharged it takes many hours of constant charging, not an hour or two . If you can get a charger from some where then charge the battery fully at home, but if you don't have any possibility of charging yourself go to a workshop or a battery service place.

Posting here alone would solve your problem, you need to pinpoint the problem systematically.

[sinikala]

Can it be dead so fast?

Yes, if you let the battery run down and it freezes. And it is not dead if you empty it but don't charge it, if by dead you mean broken.

Can I have any way to recover it (driving 1 hour not helped so much)?

If you drove it 1 hour with the battery cables attached correctly, that should've been sufficient to put back in enough charge to start the car again. And if you are trying to charge the battery by driving, remember that use of other electrics; lights, stereo and especially aircon will all decrease the rate at which the battery charges.

Assuming that the battery connections are ok, in cold weather it takes a lot out of the battery if you let it run down completely, and if your alternator is not outputting enough voltage, no matter how long you drive it will never recharge the battery back to the required level.

Take the car to a garage ... tell them you are not sure if it's your battery (akku) or alternator (vaihtovirtageneraattori), or both.

http://www.akkupojat.fi
http://www.motonet.fi/fi/korjaamot/

They can check the output of your alternator and drop test your battery.
You could probably do this yourself if you have access to a voltmeter, but garages have a dedicated piece of equipment for voltage drop testing. I have voltmeter and a pretty good understanding of how batteries work, and I'd still go to a garage.

[somequest]

Thanks for all!
1. A jumpstarter did not really help, if I wanted to get my battery revive.

2. Then a very cheap smart charger ordered online came to me after several weeks. It could charge car batteries without any voltage left. I charged my battery for more than 36 hours, yet it showed that the battery was not full. But I thought if it worked, the battery should be able to start the car. I took it to my car and tested it. Yes, it worked, to my surprise. My battery works well now.

So the problem of my battery was that it was extremely empty and could not be charged with most chargers in the market. That small thing really helped. By the way, its wire is short and I connected it with a normal jumpstart wire (comparatively a big stuff!). All those worked, in a not-so-expert way.

[Honest]

. I charged my battery for more than 36 hours,

So the problem of my battery was that it was extremely empty and could not be charged with most chargers in the market. .

Most probably it was because previously you never tried to charge it for a long time as it was suggested to you more than once

[somequest]

. I charged my battery for more than 36 hours,

So the problem of my battery was that it was extremely empty and could not be charged with most chargers in the market. .

Most probably it was because previously you never tried to charge it for a long time as it was suggested to you more than once

I bought some brand chargers, but indicators did not really show charging status. I asked the sellers and they told me that these chargers required minimum volt of the battery (different chargers required different minimum volt). I tried for more than 24 hours, the battery did not work. Tricky!

However, there were also other chargers, a bit more expensive, they were sopposed working with empty battery as well.

I said, such a small charger wa not an expert solution.

[Upphew]

Deep cycling starter battery can hurt it. I'd make mental note to get new one before next winter. And most likely end up getting new one when the car don't start

edit. next time you get your car serviced, ask them to test battery and alternator.