Could it be more serious?

"ImmoralMinority" (araimondo) 10/02/2016 at 15:26 • Filed to: None

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Sunchaser battery died yesterday. I jumped it, but the battery will not seem to recharge. I’m going to try changing the battery today, but I’m worried I may have an alternator problem.

My two favorite Japanese converibles.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > ImmoralMinority 10/02/2016 at 15:29

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The sun chaser is bigger than I realized

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 10/02/2016 at 15:30

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The RWD Celica gens are actually fairly large in person. It barely fit in my garage, the noses are very long, and interiors are very spacious.

(except headroom)

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > ImmoralMinority 10/02/2016 at 15:32

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Probably just needs a new battery. The one in my Tercel did the same thing. You could jump it, you could even charge it once or twice, but then you’d check it next day and it would be dead again. I bought a new one.

Klaus Schmoll > ImmoralMinority 10/02/2016 at 15:34

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How old is the battery?

/occam’s razor/hoofbeats mean horses not zebras/

TheHondaBro > ImmoralMinority 10/02/2016 at 15:34

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Today is not a good day for Oppo cars.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > ImmoralMinority 10/02/2016 at 15:38

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You can get a battery at Walmart for $50, if you end up needing one. I probably wouldn’t put it in my DD, but for a second vehicle it’s fine. Mine has sat for a couple weeks and been fine.

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > ImmoralMinority 10/02/2016 at 15:40

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It’d be worth doing a parasitic draw test on it. Just take the neg terminal off and touch the lead and terminal with a multimeter measuring amps to see if something is sucking power when everything is off.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > ImmoralMinority 10/02/2016 at 16:43

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Start by grabbing a voltmeter and testing it out. If the alternator is doing its job, you should be somewhere between 14 and 14.5 V when the car is running. Some alternators are weaker at idle, try giving it some gas if it reads low at first. If you are getting the right voltage out of the alternator then it’s likely OK. The battery should sit at about 12.6 V when the car is off. If it is at to 12.6 to 12.8 when you first shut off the motor that means it charged, but the battery could still be dead. Check it again after it has sat for a few hours. If it isn’t holding 12.6 then you have either a dead battery (that was the issue with my Subaru yesterday) or a parasitic draw somewhere. You can check that like itasredtherainbow suggested or by disconnecting the battery and letting it sit for a few hours. If it holds at 12.6 while disconnected, but not while plugged in then something is sucking down power even when the car is off.  

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/02/2016 at 16:48

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This sounds more complicated than it is. A voltmeter is a pretty handy tool to have for all sorts of things around the house and you can pick up a decent-enough basic one for troubleshooting things for under $20.

My bird IS the word > ImmoralMinority 10/02/2016 at 18:19

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If you can get to your alternator, you should have little trouble replacing it. Some can be pretty cheap too,if yours isn’t see if there is a place nearby that rebuilds them.