'93 wont start even after driving around. Alternator?

[Oliv555]

My car started fine this morning but i when i came out at the end of the day the battery was completely dead. Boosted it with a friends car and it started fine. I assumed it was just a dead battery so i drove around for about an hour to let the alternator recharge the battery, when i got home i turned the car off and tried to turn it on again to see if it had worked it was completely dead again. Wouldnt turn over no radio no lights no nothing. Could this be a bad alternator?

[SEgirl]

Is the battery new? This has happened to me before and it turned out to be the battery. I've had to have an alternator replaced, too, but the battery light came on in the car when it started to go.

[92accordkidd]

I think you should go to autozone and get the battery and alternator check since they do it for free

[illinois_erik]

sounds like your battery is toast or the terminals arent making good conduction.

[Tekcd5]

in this case it does sound like you have a dead cell in the battery, replace that first then check your voltage on your alternator with and without loads on it

[harrisso1]

Well aside from testing it at an auto parts store you can do it the ghetto way and crank the car and remove the battery terminals. If car stays running then its the battery if it shuts off then its the altenator. Sorry if this is urban ledgend or a myth but it has always worked for me. Especially in older vehicles.

[cb9captainjugo]

Well aside from testing it at an auto parts store you can do it the ghetto way and crank the car and remove the battery terminals. If car stays running then its the battery if it shuts off then its the altenator. Sorry if this is urban ledgend or a myth but it has always worked for me. Especially in older vehicles.

i agree works for me to....but its not the alternator cause after a boost the car stood on and even with a dead battery after u drive on it it will get just a lil power not enough to trun the car on ....but the lights will be really low and dim.....i say check your terminals make sure there tight ....

[cloudasc]

DO NOT DISCONNECT THE BATTERY WHILE THE CAR IS RUNNING, OR YOU RISK DESTROYING EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL!! The battery is there to smooth out voltage, the same way a capacitor does. So do not disconnect the battery while the car is running.

[AllProsNoCons]

Get your battery tested it wouldnt hurt to test your alternator too, pretty easily accessed on cb's.

[mrdeep2001]

If you have a non-sealed battery, you could be low on electrolyte/battery acid, which would not allow the battery to hold charge. There should be some caps you can pop off the top of your battery and check the fluid level. If the metal plates inside the battery aren't submerged, you need to add more fluid.

[JDMDriver]

Process of elimination esp when it comes to electrical problem.

How new is your battery? If its nearing 5 years if continuous use then its highly prob its the battery.

They manufacture them with short lifespan now if 4 to 6 years (average 5). To test unless you have access to a tester is charging your battery then leaving it disconnected over night, do not connect it till morning.

If it starts then the battery holds charge overnight and so the likely culprit is your alternator. If the starter is slow or weaker than 100% then its your battery loosing charge.

It is not uncommon for batteries to die quickly, as fast as yours, working one moment then dead.

[SEgirl]

I've experienced that before. Had absolutely no signs that the battery was going out until it just died one afternoon .

It is not uncommon for batteries to die quickly, as fast as yours, working one moment then dead.

[TypeG]

DO NOT DISCONNECT THE BATTERY WHILE THE CAR IS RUNNING, OR YOU RISK DESTROYING EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL!! The battery is there to smooth out voltage, the same way a capacitor does. So do not disconnect the battery while the car is running.

it's common to do this at the dealership when swapping out the battery. no one ever wants to reset the anti theft code. never seen anything bad come from it, just got to be careful with the cables touching things. later.

[Gotz Cb7]

As long as you're using normal components, taking the battery off won't hurt. Now if you have your headlights on with 10 fog lights or bumping a system, that's when your battery is involved. An Alternator has enough juice to power the car on it's own and then some, which is why jumping a battery to get it started dead.. then after a half hour of driving, it's recharged. If the alternator needed help from a battery to power the car's factory components, your battery will always be dead.

Why else could you jump start a car with a dead battery and immediately disconnect the cables and it stays running? Because once the engine is running, the alternator generates enough electricity to run the car, and charge the battery.