Car won't start without jump, then tries to stall

[SlashGSX]

95 GSX
Manual transmission

Ok this all started the other day after I helped someone else jumpstart their car. Came out to mine a few hours later and it wouldn't start so I got a jump and went home. Turned it off then tried turning it back on immediately and it wouldn't turn on.

Jumped it again and drove to work where I could charge the battery. The battery sat there for maybe 5 minutes and said it was fully charged. Car still wouldn't turn on so I checked and it said the alternator was bad. Replaced that last night and the car fired right up.

Went to the store last night after installing the new alternator and when I came out I had to jumpstart my car again. The battery is fully charged and lights and everything work though.

Now the weird part: Once I finally get the damn thing started and try to drive it cuts out like it's stalling or something, but only for a split second at a time. It keeps doing this though and I'm honestly scared to drive it.

I was hearing a clicking noise near the stereo when I would try to start it but that has since gone away.

Any ideas of what this could be? All my fuses look fine. Wires don't seem too bad. What gets me is that it will fire up with a jumper box but then it does that stalling thing.

 

[Bishikid]

wow how weird. My guess would have been that your battery is bad and that your car is running strictly off the alternator once its on... but you say the battery has a full charge and all your lights work.

Hmmm your sure its not your alternator right? it doesn't click every time you try and start it instead of not hearing anything at all like when the battery is completely dead? have you checked your new alternator to see if its not a faulty one? I hope its not your ECU dude

I had this problem too, it ended up being a short-cercuit that would make my starters go bad, and later on auto zone told me my battery was bad too.

 

[herms99gst]

That clicking is prob relays your hearing. You more than likelwy have some drawing from your battery when the cars off. You need to see whats going on witb that. If you have a dmm you can see how much is being pulled when the cars off. I believe anything more than .035 amps is a problem. Google how to find a parasitic draw with a digital multi multi meter. I dont want to try and explain it ....hope thia helps

 

[SlashGSX]

If it were a draw wouldn't it take longer than 5 seconds after I shut off my car for the battery to go dead? I can literally shut it off, takew the key out and put it back in and it won't start.

 

[herms99gst]

O i didnt read that part sorry. Where did you get the alternator? Are you sure the battery wire has a good connection?

 

[SlashGSX]

Battery connections are good. Got the alternator at Oreilly's. Someone is going to get pistol whipped if that thing is faulty.

 

[herms99gst]

It does sound like a bad battery

 

[SlashGSX]

Got the battery on the charger right now so we will see. It wouldn't surprise me. I would be so happy if that's all it is but I guess we'll find out.

 

[Bishikid]

yeah lets hope its something as easy as a faulty alternator, or bad starter, or bad battery.

 

[98zx23369]

Jump starting vehicles is pretty rough on a electrical system especially the alternator and the battery, if you don't jump start a vehicle the correct way it may send a surge of electricity through one of the cars, to absorb this electricity you turn on loads in the "good" car, then hook up dead car to live car, ect.

Did you have you battery load tested? could have a failing cell, headlights don't take high amperage but that starter sure does. If that doesn't work try a parasitic draw test

How to Find a Parasitic Battery Drain | eHow.com

If none of this works than I have no idea haha

 

[SlashGSX]

Ok it's gotta be the battery.

I just charged it and then went to start my car and it wouldn't start. It HAS to be the battery, right? Dear God I hope it's the battery.

 

[Ultimate1]

If the car trys to stall as you are already going it is definitely not just the battery. The battery is really just for starting the car, and the alternator is what keeps supplying power once its running even with a dead battery. If you are still hearing the clicking semi stalls you might want to check your ECU for leaky capacitors.

 

[98zx23369]

Our alternators only put out 13.3-13.8 volts of electricity while idle. Not quite enough if its doing all the work

 

[herms99gst]

I doubt its a ecu....thats jumping the gun a little bit. Have u tried swaping a battery? Even if your alternator is charging properly if yout battery is dead dead it will only last but so long.

 

[95eclispe]

sounds like a battery issue to me. you should get a load tester and see what your battery is running on. if its low then dING! other than that id say get your alternator and starter tested just to be safe and recheck all fuses in and out. and your connections make sure nothing came loose. but my guess is battery

 

[96mitsugsx]

My main suspect is your battery terminals. Check them again if I were you.

 

[mnelsen]

Why haven't you taken the battery and/or alternator to autozone yet to be tested? I don't get why you haven't since the problem started. It takes like two minutes.

 

[SlashGSX]

Tried a new battery and the issue remains. Doesn't start and when I jump it the thing flickers once every second until it finally shuts off.
I actually had to drive home last night with my hood partially open so I could leave the jumper box attached to my battery. That's the ####ed up part. When the box is attached it runs fine. When I take it off, even with a brand new battery, it goes apeshit.

I'm taking everything apart on Sunday to double check the whole system. I just haven't had time this week to do it.

 

[98zx23369]

are you hooking the jump pack to a ground? or negtive terminal? or check your wires to the fuse box, the two white ones

 

[SlashGSX]

Negative terminal. That's the only way it seemed to work. I know that's not the right way but it's the only thing that seemed to work.

 

[YES]

Check to see if somethings draining your battery like a short somewhere. With the positive cable connected to the positive battery terminal and the negative battery cable disconnected, get a test light and connect one side of the test light to the negative terminal and the other side of the test light to the cable thats disconnected that goes to the negative terminal. If the test light stays off flip the test light connector the opossite way and try it again. If it lights up like if there was power there then you have a short somewhere and something is draining your battery.

Check out this video............Fixing Battery Drain In Your Car - YouTube

 

[ktgurl87]

As far as your car not wanting to run right... this used to happen to the hubby's GST when his car would die every single day. Like, within an hour it would be dead and would have to be jumped. Replaced the alternator and battery and that was fine. BUT... when starting it after it died, I would have to let it idle for like 10 minutes all by itself before I thought about driving it, because it had to relearn its idle process. This takes driving the car as well, which would get interesting at a stop. I would have to put it in park or neutral to rev it up if I had to before it was time to "go" again. Damned cars. It's always something.

 

[streetraceboi]

Something that noone has mentioned....have you checked your ALT fuse in the fuse box in the bay? That could also be the issue. It could also be something grounding out. Check the wires from the battery...to the starter..and to the alternator. Alternator could also be a dud. It happenend to me once. I took it back and they exchanged it for another new one.

Are any of your dash lights staying on?

 

[Sprnt76]

I I had the same issue and found it to be the ground to the starter was loose. Try that

 

[98zx23369]

OK I understand the issue. I bet its the ground from the battery to the motor usually connected by the starter (you never know who's been in there) the reason your lights work is because the battery to body connection is still working properly. Take the cable off sand each side of the terminal throw it back on and see if that works