Car electrics question

[Gregory Toomey]

This is strictly not electronics but I want to work out what is going on.

The basic problem sequence is
- 1996 Hyundai Excel does not start. Battery stuffed?
- get in mobile auto electrician, who uses jumper leads to start car; say is
battery problem
- replace battery;
- car starts but battery discharges in a few days
- try to jump start car; engine turns over sluggishly but does not start

Can I easily check whether the battery and/or alternator is stuffed?


gtoomey
Free ASX end of data www.float.com.au/data

 

[John G]

Sounds like either alternaor is not "alternating" or there is a light or
something not turning Off, boot light etc.
Good Auto Elec has enough tools to measure load with everything Supposedly
Off or check if alternator is actually chargeing the battery.

 

[Roger Lascelles]

1. Install a good battery from another car and start the car. Don't jump
start your car, because your old battery might suck a lot of current and
alter the readings.

2. Turn headlights on (not just parkers).

3. Measure battery voltage with a digital multimeter. You are looking for
roughly 13.6 to 14.8 or so volts. You should get this with the engine
idling, or just a touch faster than idle.

4. If voltage is OK, the alternator + regulator are OK.

5. Turn all lights, accessories off. Close doors to turn off interior
lights. Remove one battery terminal and put a multimeter on amps between
terminal and battery post. I suggest the 10 amp range then if you get a low
reading, use a lower range. You should read 0.05 amps or less : hopefully
0.02 or less.

6. If the current is below the limit, your car does not have a parasitic
drain which is sucking guts out of the battery and reducing battery life.

7. If you have a parasitic drain, find the cause. You might be able to
charge your battery back up and get some life out of it.

8. A percentage of batteries die young, so it *could* be the battery.

9. If you have flattened the battery a few times, you could have killed it.


Roger

 

[Brian Goldsmith]

5. Turn all lights, accessories off. Close doors to turn off interior
lights. Remove one battery terminal and put a multimeter on amps between
terminal and battery post. I suggest the 10 amp range then if you get a low
reading, use a lower range. You should read 0.05 amps or less : hopefully
0.02 or less.


***All good advice,but be prepared to reprogramme your car radio if it is of the
microprocessor type.

Brian Goldsmith.

 

[The real Andy]

5. Turn all lights, accessories off. Close doors to turn off interior
lights. Remove one battery terminal and put a multimeter on amps between
terminal and battery post. I suggest the 10 amp range then if you get a low
reading, use a lower range. You should read 0.05 amps or less : hopefully
0.02 or less.


***All good advice,but be prepared to reprogramme your car radio if it is of the
microprocessor type.

Well if the OP's battery is dead he is going to have to do it anyway.....

 

[Brian Goldsmith]

***All good advice,but be prepared to reprogramme your car radio if it is

of the microprocessor type.

Well if the OP's battery is dead he is going to have to do it anyway.....


****The OP wrote this" try to jump start car; engine turns over sluggishly but does not start"
That is not a dead battery.

Brian Goldsmith.

 

[The real Andy]

is
of the microprocessor type.

Well if the OP's battery is dead he is going to have to do it anyway.....


****The OP wrote this" try to jump start car; engine turns over sluggishly but does not start"
That is not a dead battery.

Dead enough for me. Might I add, reprogramming the radio to find a fault
that might save you $100 on a new battery is probably not a bad side effect.

 

[Brian Goldsmith]

Well if the OP's battery is dead he is going to have to do it anyway.....


****The OP wrote this" try to jump start car; engine turns over sluggishly but does not start"
That is not a dead battery.

Dead enough for me. Might I add, reprogramming the radio to find a fault
that might save you $100 on a new battery is probably not a bad side effect.

****Not dead enough to have to reprogramme the radio .
Reread my original post,quote-"All good advice"

Brian Goldsmith.

 

[Gregory Toomey]

is
of the microprocessor type.

Well if the OP's battery is dead he is going to have to do it anyway.....


****The OP wrote this" try to jump start car; engine turns over sluggishly but does not start"
That is not a dead battery.

Brian Goldsmith.

Correct. I tried to start with jumper leads to another car , while the other
car's engine was on. I tried it with and without the Hyundai battery
connected in parallel. I measured 14V DC.

The air conditioning worked, headlights worked, car radio worked. The engine
turned over 1 or 2 times but not enough to start (air
conditioning/headlights switched off).

gtoomey

 

[Fat Crack Ho]

Are you running an amplifier at all?

As others have suggested, you may have accessories drawing current when the the
ignition is off. Most power amps if left "on" will draw 0.5 to 1amp with no
input signal. I had the same problem on my commodore. Didn't think such a
small draw would lead to problems, but it did. In the end, one of the battery
cells collapsed so when you turned the key to "start", there wasn't enough juice
left to kick the starter over.

 

[Rob Judd]

This is strictly not electronics but I want to work out what is going on.

The basic problem sequence is
- 1996 Hyundai Excel does not start. Battery stuffed?
- get in mobile auto electrician, who uses jumper leads to start car; say is
battery problem
- replace battery;
- car starts but battery discharges in a few days
- try to jump start car; engine turns over sluggishly but does not start

Can I easily check whether the battery and/or alternator is stuffed?

You can check the alternator with a voltmeter across the battery.
Revving the engine should make the voltage rise. Normal is 13.8v or so
on charge, at least 12v when the engine is off. Anything lower is
suspect.

Rob

 

[CyBorg_0091]

Yes you are correct if there is no battery problems as you say

It is a 1996 Hyundia that has had the shit cained out of it and the timing
system is out of wack in one way or annother unless there is a short or bad
ground or capacitor on the ignition timing gone.


Is this thing fuel injected? -Yes! I don't want to know anything about it

 

[The real Andy]

sluggishly
but does not start"

Dead enough for me. Might I add, reprogramming the radio to find a fault
that might save you $100 on a new battery is probably not a bad side effect.

****Not dead enough to have to reprogramme the radio .
Reread my original post,quote-"All good advice"

Brian Goldsmith.

I am convinced you are a complete fuckwit that lacks the ability to
reprogram your car stero, which takes all of 2 minutes to reprogram the few
decent stations available.

 

[Alan]

sluggishly
but does not start"

Correct. I tried to start with jumper leads to another car , while the other
car's engine was on. I tried it with and without the Hyundai battery
connected in parallel. I measured 14V DC.

The air conditioning worked, headlights worked, car radio worked. The engine
turned over 1 or 2 times but not enough to start (air
conditioning/headlights switched off).

gtoomey

Getting confused. Back to basics.

1. Do not start car with jumper leads. Borrow a known good battery from
another car. Pray owner doesn't have problems reprogramming their radio.

2. Disconnect you battery entirely.

3. Attempt to start car. If car starts, so far so good. If not problem is
with starter circuit.

4. with car running with only borrowed battery check voltages. If voltage
around 14V charge circuit appears to be ok

5. Stop car, disconnect one terminal of battery and check for leakage
current.

6. If none of the above proves fruitful check that all connections on the
battery and alternator are clean and tight. Get an auto electrician to check
your alternator. They can run it on a test bench to check it's out put at
normal operating speeds. It could be the alternator has worn bearings and
may be causing the brushes to lose contact and not charge. ( Don't laugh
have had it happen to me, in the country on a weekend.)

 

[Jon]

Jumper leads can charge your own battery enough to start it if its in
good condition. Leave it sit with the earth cable on the car youre
trying to start disconnected. When its been about 5 minutes, with the
jump cable still connected, reconnect the earth cable to the car youre
trying to start, leaving the booster car running. (Make sure the head
lights on the one youre trying to start arent on) and try starting the
car. You should make sure the booster cable is a thick type and positive
to positive connections etc. If it works (and you havent flooded the
carby) you may have a bad battery connection, a bad alternator or some
other problem. (starter motor needs overhaul maybe)


If it doesnt work do as Alan suggested.