Jumper cables crossed.The car wouldn’t start. Found it was a fuse that blew which we replaced. The car turned on but then we had t
Crossed the jumper cables. Car wouldn't start after that. Figured out it was a fuse that blew which we replaced. Then we replaced the alternator.The car was working fine. But then the battery started dying again after a couple of days. So we have to carry w/ a portable battery charger because we don't know when the car is not going to start. What can it be that is sucking up the battery. Please help
My car has 90000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
If you are very lucky, you may just need a battery. When you cross the jumper cables, you can do a lot of damage in the blink of an eye. If it just trashes the alternator and the battery, you have beaten the odds. You could try disconnecting the battery to see if it still goes dead. If it does, you may just need a battery. If it doesn’t go dead when disconnected, then you have a draw in the system. In your case, you might have damaged one or more diodes in one of the many control units that inhabit your car. Testing for an off key draw is time consuming and requires a pretty thorough knowledge of the car’s systems. You can have this thing checked out by a pro by contacting Your Mechanic. They can send a technician to your home or office to check out your battery drain and advise you as to the next step.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
What if your car won`t jump-start? First, try running the other engine for five more minutes before trying again to start yours. If your car still doesn`t start, you may need a new battery — or it could be a sign of a more serious problem.
When you reverse the polarity of the jumper cables, you create a drastic increase in the amount of electrical current that runs through them. As a result, the cables may melt or even catch fire.
Like most electronics, a power surge can cause damage to the electronic systems of a modern car. A seemingly well-meaning jumpstart can cause said power surge and impact the effectiveness of onboard computers, safety systems, damage the engine and be the result of expensive repairs.
“When a vehicle battery dies, the most common solution is to jump-start the battery using jumper cables and another vehicle. However, if proper steps are not taken, there is no guarantee this method won`t cause damage to the vehicle,” says David Bennett, AAA`s manager for repair systems.
4. Electrical or wiring problems. Electrical problems in non-starting cars include issues with the fuse box, with battery cables or with the body control unit.
Most vehicles have a large fuse to blow and avoid damage to the ECU / ECM. This may be a 40, 60, or 80-ampere fuse, which is usually hard to find. In most cases, these fuses may not be listed in the owner`s manual.
This process will put slight stress on your battery and alternator. However, in most cases, this process is harmless. A healthy battery will be unfazed by the jump-start, and your battery will recharge as you drive. However, If done improperly, jump-starting another car can pose some risks for your vehicle.
You should expect jumpstarting a dead battery to take five minutes, but in harsh conditions, it could take up to thirty minutes to jumpstart your car. You need to drive for at least fifteen minutes after a jumpstart to fully recharge the battery.
You should leave jumper cables connected for around five minutes at first. If your car still doesn`t start after five minutes, it may take longer—up to 30 minutes in extremely cold temperatures. If after 30 minutes your car still doesn`t start, there`s likely more wrong than simply a dead battery.
So it is a good idea to inspect and clean battery posts regularly. Improper jump-starting is another leading cause of explosions. The mistake many motorists make is to connect the jumper cables to another car`s good battery and then to the dead battery, a practice that causes sparking.
It is possible in some cases to jumpstart a vehicle that has a faulty alternator, as long as the battery has enough of a charge to keep running. However, the alternator should be replaced as soon as possible.
Does jump starting a car drain your battery? If you`ve been asked to help jump start a friend`s battery, you run the risk of frying one or both of the batteries if your battery is old or damaged in any way. Ensure your battery is in good condition before offering to help jump start anyone else`s car.
A fully charged battery should register at 12.7 volts or more. If the voltage falls below this number, the battery should be recharged. A battery is only charged by one quarter at just 12 volts. Once it drops to 11.9 volts, your battery is considered dead.
How Long Does It Take To Charge A Car Battery? If you have jump-started your car, it is recommended to let your vehicle run for at least 30 minutes because it would typically require at least half an hour to charge a dead battery entirely or at least sufficiently.
Bad Sensors
One common culprit for this problem is the crankshaft position sensor, which measures the position and speed of the crankshaft. The computer uses the information from this sensor to know when to fire the spark plugs. If the sensor isn`t working, the spark plugs won`t fire, keeping the engine from starting.
There are several possible reasons for a vehicle to crank and not start. A bad fuel pump, clogged fuel filter, faulty injectors, bad ecu, failed ignition coil, or a malfunctioning sensor. It will first be necessary to figure out if there is a lack of spark, low/no fuel pressure, or a mechanical problem.
Look at the fuse wire. If there is a visible gap in the wire or a dark or metallic smear inside the glass then the fuse is blown and needs to be replaced.
Faulty Fuse
And if that`s faulty or the fusible links are damaged, your car wont start. A damaged or blown fuse can prevent power from reaching the starter relay, which is needed to provide the spark, the ignition, and the power to move your vehicle.
Note: When the batteries are connected in series and positive terminals of two batteries are connected, the potential difference is reduced. If the potential differences across the terminals of those batteries are equal, the effective potential difference in such a connection will be zero.
Connecting the battery terminals in reverse can cause serious damage to the battery itself, the electrical components, and even to yourself. Each terminal of a car battery uses 12V of current with positive and negative orientation.
One common reason why a car won`t jump start is because the battery is completely dead. If the battery is completely dead, it won`t have enough power to turn over the engine, even with a jump start. In this case, you`ll need to replace the battery to get your car running again.
This could be due to a faulty alternator, a bad connection, or a problem with the battery itself. If your Jump start doesn`t work, a third reason could be because there is a problem with the starter motor. The starter motor is responsible for turning the engine over when you turn the key in the ignition.
When the battery is dead, jumper wires or boosters are employed. You use a second battery to provide the necessary electricity to start the car. But attaching a jumper directly to the starter may work as a fix if the issue is brought on by a faulty connection to the starter.
A car`s battery is a 12-volt lead-acid system which allows the car`s starter and voltage regulator to act in unison. Most car models require at least 9 volts (about 40 per cent charge) of electricity to start, although some with more advanced electrical systems may require up to 11 or 12 volts.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Jumper cables crossed.The car wouldn’t start. Found it was a fuse that blew which we replaced. The car turned on but then we had t
ANSWER : If you are very lucky, you may just need a battery. When you cross the jumper cables, you can do a lot of damage in the blink of an eye. If it just trashes the alternator and the battery, you have beaten the odds. You could try disconnecting the battery to see if it still goes dead. If it does, you may just need a battery. If it doesn’t go dead when disconnected, then you have a draw in the system. In your case, you might have damaged one or more diodes in one of the many control units that inhabit your car. Testing for an off key draw is time consuming and requires a pretty thorough knowledge of the car’s systems. You can have this thing checked out by a pro by contacting Your Mechanic. They can send a technician to your home or office to check out your battery drain and advise you as to the next step.
My car will not start Intermittently. I purchased a new battery 2 weeks ago and yesterday the car wouldn’t start. Got a jump and
ANSWER : The issue you are having is probably due to an intermittent fault in the starter motor itself or a deficiency in the starter electrical circuit, for example a large voltage drop due to a poor ground or a high resistance connection. These issues can be readily diagnosed and resolved on a mobile basis if you request a hard starting diagnostic. If you request that diagnostic, the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you promptly. Based on Toyota’s Factory Service Manual, the battery should not be disconnected if the vehicle engine is running. The battery acts as a large resistive voltage sink and consequently taking the battery out of the circuit, while the alternator is still running, can create a voltage spike on the car’s electrical system which is not good for voltage sensitive components such as the engine computer. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
Car blows ecm run/start fuse after starting and then dies replaced fuse and repeats
ANSWER : Hi there. Typically when this issue occurs, damage will be instant – meaning if it’s going to damage the ECU, replacing the fuses would not help start the vehicle. So, at first glance, I would assume the ECU is OK. What is more likely is that you have an exposed wire somewhere that is causing the fuses to pop. Trying to diagnose these issues can be tricky sometimes, so it might be a good idea to have a professional mechanic complete an electrical problems inspection to isolate why you’re having these issues and recommend the right repairs.
My car wouldn’t start after battery was just replaced my car cd player is running after I turn the car off
ANSWER : Your CD player definitely should not be running after the key is off and out of the car. It will certainly drain your battery. So the good news is you can be reasonably certain about what is killing your battery. I would remove any CD’s from the player and see if it still spins with the key out of the car. If you need to go a step further, you will need to disconnect the power wire to the stereo. It is located at the back of the stereo and this will require some dash disassembly to access the rear of the radio.
You will want to disconnect the stereo overnight to see if the battery dies. A quicker more accurate way of testing for a draw, which is what this is called, is to use an amp meter at the battery to confirm the stereo is the source of the draw. Most multimeters have amp settings that can be used up to a ten amp draw. You will need to connect the leads of the multimeter inline with the positive battery cable. Do not turn the key on while the multimeter is inline with the battery. The current will blow the fuse in the multimeter then you won’t be able to complete the test. Also, you will need to wait somewhere between ten minutes and an hour for all the modules in the car to go to sleep. Modules that are on will draw current until they go to sleep. You are looking for a draw of more than a half of an amp continuous.
With the multimeter connected, disconnect the radio connector and see if the draw goes away. You will see this reflected in the multimeter amperage reading. This draw test can be used to locate any draw that may be occurring. If you find the radio is not the culprit, you should then begin removing fused one at a time to see what is causing the draw. When the draw goes away after removing a fuse, something on that fused circuit is causing the draw.From there you will need to study a wiring diagram to see what is on that circuit.
Of course, all this takes an understanding of electricity to do these test. If you should need assistance with this, I recommend the following inspection; Battery is dead inspection from a certified technician from YourMechanic.
Good luck!
Car won’t turn over. No lights come on when I turn it. Can’t even lock my doorsvor push the seat up or back.
ANSWER : Your probably correct, it sounds as though your battery is done. But it also sounds like you have charging system issues. I’m not sure that fixing your battery and charging system will solve the problem with the car shutting off, but it’s possible that it will and it’s a darned good place to start. By contacting Your Mechanic, you can have a technician come to your home or office to check out your car and help you figure out what to do next.
Car not starting, replaced battery and alternator fuse but now inside fuses are blowing and still not starting
ANSWER : Hi there. It is quite possible that you have an exposed electrical wire or a short somewhere in the electrical system that is the root source of your starting issue. A fuse or relay will continue to break when the circuit is unable to complete. This is typically due to a wire that is pinched, frayed or a ground wire connection that is faulty. Due to the multiple possible sources of this problem, I would recommend having one of our experienced mobile mechanics come to your location to complete an electrical problems inspection, so they can determine the root source of this issue and recommend the right repairs.
What was the device that prevented my car from starting and blew a fuse? Is it safe now?
ANSWER : This sounds like an aftermarket addition, which are often wired in pretty poorly by people that install them. I would suggest having the car inspected by a qualified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, before doing any long drives with it. They will be able to inspect your electrical system and diagnose why your car stalled in the first place. Once this is done, the necessary repairs can be made to ensure that the car is safe for the road.
My car stutter starts, but only after driving it for a few minutes.
ANSWER : Hey there. This may also be caused by what is called the fuel pressure regulator. This is a unit that helps to maintain the fuel pressure at the proper level. When this is not working properly, the fuel pump may be pumping properly, but the fuel may not arrive at the fuel injectors at the proper psi. When this happens, this can cause a lean fuel condition which may cause the car to hesitate, misfire, or stall. If you would like to have an expert pinpoint the issue, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to inspect the hard start problem and confirm which repairs are needed.
