Headlights left on at work and the problems began...

[MajouR]

LONGGGGGG...sorry but I had to get all the details in. PLEASE read and see if you have any ideas.



I left my headlights yesterday morning when I went into work and when I came out for lunch the battery was dead. When I tried to jump the car, I couldn't get it to turnover even thought I left the cables on for about 20-30 minutes. I get someone to bring me a battery( from my totaled eclipse, good battery, all is fine at this point) and I make it home but the car won't turn over once it's off. Charge up another battery, pop it in, start it up, drive around the block beofre my cd player starts turning on and off and my lights are dim. Get it home and it won't start again. Proceed to try a third battery this morning, samething. I charge up the original battery now, hoping for the outside chance we had 2 bad batteries, no such luck. I go to Gary at the mitsu graveyard and pick up a used alternator from an eclipse with a blown motor. Swap it in and now it's better I believe. I drive it to work but it starts idle surging when I get there, I pray it's unrelated and go about my day. Come out to go home and it cranks a little slow but it seems alright. About halfway the cd player starts turning on and off, I make it 2 more exits and it dies. I get another battery and limp my tired ass home...

So after all that long story... Any ideas? No fuses popped by the way (80a alternator popped this morning but I think I did that because it wasn't popped last night or before I worked on it this morning).

Thanks, Bobby.

 

[Venum]

This may seem stupid, but I had the same problem with the battery not working, even after a full charge. But you should check the connectors that attach to the battery (I know they have a name but I've been studying anatomy for 5 hours straight), they might be corroded. Get a wire brush and clean the hell out of it, then reattach them on the battery and try it.

If that doesn't do it keep the connection loose so that you can rotate them while someone else tries to start the car. If that doesn't help then get a peice of metal and try making a circuit from the battery to the cables (this is to see if it's even the battery problem not a permanent fix).


Once I got my car to start I had to drive it around for 45 minutes before my idle stoped acting funny, then I went home and cleaned it some more and rotated the cables until I got a strong connection. Now it runs fine, but I'm getting mroe corrosion so I need a new battery soon

Hope it helps, let us know.

 

[MajouR]

They are really clean. I scrubbed them down with baking soda and water the other day....

 

[Venum]

Got a volt meter? if you do, try that to see if there's even a circuit being established.