"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
02/22/2015 at 15:53 • Filed to: None
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"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
02/22/2015 at 15:53 • Filed to: None | 0
| 11 |
A few weeks ago, I !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! about the battery in my van, how it was heavily corroded, and how cleaning it seemed to clear up some electrical gremlins I was having. My wife phoned me last night when I was out of town to say that the van now will not start. I got home today, and sure enough, there wasn't enough juice to pop the door locks. Turning the key caused a ratchety clicking noise to come from the area of the fuse box in the pax compartment. I jumped the van from my VW, and it started right up. I let it run for about 15 minutes, turned it off, and it started again. The positive side of the battery was low on water, so I topped it off. Two hours later, it's dead again. It seems to me that it's just a case of a dead battery that won't hold a charge any more, but I've never heard that clicking noise from the fuse box before. Any ideas?
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
crowmolly
> ttyymmnn
02/22/2015 at 16:02 |
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New battery. That clicking noise is probably a relay.
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ttyymmnn
> crowmolly
02/22/2015 at 16:06 |
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I've done some googling for "fuse box clicking" and there are reports of relays making that noise. Is it making that noise because the battery is dead? Or is the problematic relay killing the battery? There's a sticker on the battery that reads "1/12", so presumably, the battery is three years old. I would think it would last longer than that.
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crowmolly
> ttyymmnn
02/22/2015 at 16:13 |
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Could be a faulty battery anyway. I would pull it and get it tested.
A relay works like an electronic switch to higher amp stuff. You may have enough power to make it "flip the switch" but not to activate whatever is being switched.
DavidHH
> ttyymmnn
02/22/2015 at 16:14 |
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If the battery terminals were badly corroded, the other end of the cable is also likely to be corroded. Nasty Sulfur Compounds can tunnel [travel] thru the wiring [copper].
Also check for overcharging, as that will empty cells in the battery.
jariten1781
> ttyymmnn
02/22/2015 at 16:34 |
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Oh, I've definitely had batteries crap out 3 years or less. Especially over winter on occasional drivers, but even on one DD in the middle of Spring. I just consider them crap shoots.
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ttyymmnn
> jariten1781
02/22/2015 at 16:37 |
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Yeah, it has all the hallmarks of a simple dead battery. There's always the question of whether or not it's getting charged by the alternator, though. We're expecting some nasty weather here in Austin in the next couple of days, so I want to get this sussed out today. I'll probably just head out and buy a battery this afternoon and go from there.
Biased Plies
> ttyymmnn
02/22/2015 at 16:45 |
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If you put that battery in, find your receipt. I believe many have a warranty or guarantee to last longer than 3 years.
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ttyymmnn
> Biased Plies
02/22/2015 at 16:50 |
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I probably do. God knows where the receipt is, though. It was replaced by a mobile repair guy back when I called for a jump. I recall him telling me to call for warranty right before it was set to expire and get a new one for free. I thought I had marked it in my calendar. But I can't find a reference to it.
AMGtech - now with more recalls!
> ttyymmnn
02/22/2015 at 21:37 |
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The relay is clicking because of the battery. Normally it goes once and you never notice it. But it's signals are messed up due to low voltage, so to put it very simply it can't decide whether to be on or off and just switches over and over again. This happens a lot when batteries die. Also, in my experience AAA batteries are crap and you're lucky to have gotten three years.
Before putting a new battery in you can do a very rudimentary test for your alternator. Though it is by no means a good reliable test, but if it fails it fails, a pass doesn't mean much. With the old nearly dead battery installed, get the engine running, then turn on all electrics on high (heated window, blower fan, high beams, seat heaters, etc.), if the engine dies within about ten minutes your alternator isn't doing anything.
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ttyymmnn
> AMGtech - now with more recalls!
02/22/2015 at 21:49 |
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I called AAA, since they are the ones who installed it for me. The guy came out to the house and first tightened the wires on the posts. They were loose enough to slide around the battery posts, but not loose enough to come free. He couldn't tighten the positive post enough, so he performed the following field expedient repair with a license plate screw.
He said that the clamp would need to be replaced, but this will hold indefinitely. He then tested the battery, and it was fine. The van started right up without a jump or charging. So it seems to have been a connectivity issue all along. I had removed the clamps to clean the posts, and I guess I didn't get them back on tightly enough. Any suggestions for a more elegant repair? I'd rather not have to pay to replace the clamp.
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AMGtech - now with more recalls!
> ttyymmnn
02/22/2015 at 22:37 |
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Well that's pretty simple. And sorry I don't have any other repair suggestions. It's either this (or something similar), or a new terminal.