Heliobas Disciple
TB Fanatic
My car has died (wouldn't start) three times this month. The first time, I had the battery checked and the alternator checked my a local mechanic. He said the battery had a bad cell and the alternator was fine (no lights were going off inside the car to alert to an alternator problem either). He said I may get by with the battery in the hot weather, but when it turned colder I'd definitely need a new one. The battery died again later that week and I replaced it at Walmart.
Two weeks later (today) the car was dead again. By dead I mean no noise whatsoever when I turn the key. After jumping it, I took it back to the first mechanic who checked the new battery and said that it looked like a low charge and that the battery was crap (not his exact words ) and that I should never buy a battery at Walmart. He tried to sell me his again for three times as much as I paid at Walmart. He didn't recheck the alternator. Interestingly (to me) was that the new battery checked at the same voltage the original one checked at (in the 10 range).
When I went to Walmart to exchange the battery, it tested fine and the guy there told me my alternator wasn't making the voltage go up, so it could be an alternator problem. But couldn't check it there. If not that, a short somewhere.
I know little about cars, but wouldn't my alternator be working if the battery had more of a charge after a 20 minute drive than before it? If the alternator wasn't working wouldn't my battery been further drained, not recharged? And it started up a few more times this evening without a problem.
Also, the guy at Walmart intimated that if it was a short it would be very expensive to diagnose/find the short. The car is 17 years old and I can't afford an expensive fix on it. Anyone have any ideas/tips/hints????
Thanks, HD
Two weeks later (today) the car was dead again. By dead I mean no noise whatsoever when I turn the key. After jumping it, I took it back to the first mechanic who checked the new battery and said that it looked like a low charge and that the battery was crap (not his exact words ) and that I should never buy a battery at Walmart. He tried to sell me his again for three times as much as I paid at Walmart. He didn't recheck the alternator. Interestingly (to me) was that the new battery checked at the same voltage the original one checked at (in the 10 range).
When I went to Walmart to exchange the battery, it tested fine and the guy there told me my alternator wasn't making the voltage go up, so it could be an alternator problem. But couldn't check it there. If not that, a short somewhere.
I know little about cars, but wouldn't my alternator be working if the battery had more of a charge after a 20 minute drive than before it? If the alternator wasn't working wouldn't my battery been further drained, not recharged? And it started up a few more times this evening without a problem.
Also, the guy at Walmart intimated that if it was a short it would be very expensive to diagnose/find the short. The car is 17 years old and I can't afford an expensive fix on it. Anyone have any ideas/tips/hints????
Thanks, HD