Car wont hold a Charge

[90TSIwhite]

My car isn't holding a charge. I got a new altenator and it still wont hold a charge. Should I try a new altenator?

 

[grullan]

If you've replaced your alternator, I recommend doing a quick check just to make sure your new alternator is not defective. You'll need a voltmeter for this. With the car on, measure the voltage on the battery posts. It should read 13.6 and up. If it only reads 12 or less, your alternator could be defective. If it is good, try the following 2 articles as you might have a short somewhere causing a drain in your battery.

Finding Grounds

Finding a short

Hope this helps some, please keep us posted on your problem. If you fix it, post.

 

[jrod@buschur]

You could have a dead cell in the battery which would cause this as well.

 

[90TSIwhite]

Thanks man! I'll check that out today!

 

[ChicksDigBoost]

Make sure the fuseable like between the alternator and battery is good too.

 

[blueberry_dsm]

when you get the system charged, im guessing from a wall charger, will it start and run? or will it not even do that? you see, when you charge a battery from a wall charger and it starts, it will hold a charge for not very long, but it wears off leaving it running on the charge that it is getting from the alt. but when u turn the car off, it loses the charge from the alt, thus leaving the battery dead. i would say i am almost 100% positive that it is a bad battery.

shane

 

[90TSIwhite]

It will start and run when jumped

 

[jrod@buschur]

I am 99.9% sure its a bad battery then. I've had a couple do that.

 

[90TSIwhite]

I'll have to try this out tonight, Thanks man!

 

[jrod@buschur]

No problem. Let us know if this fixes it.

 

[90TSIwhite]

Well it fixed it! It starts like new!