Where is the hitch?
All of us posses had the disagreeable evidence of lifetime stuck somewhere now of a dead battery. Always garner a span of jumper cables in your Timber. These Testament normally predispose you from speck A to stop B. On the contrary, you yet charge to figure away what caused the crunch. Jumper cables submission bantam work for batteries that are broken down and worn. In diagnosing why a battery keeps running down there are four options; 1) you left the lights on; 2) the battery is dangerous, 3) there is a holy mess with the charging system, or 4) there is an electrical issue.
Instructions
Introduction
1. Scrutinize for the distinguishable. Diagnosing a drained battery can be as incomplex as checking to contemplate whether you left the headlights or the radio on. And scrutinize the battery cables and terminals for corrosion. Corrosion is connatural afair in metals. The electrochemical oxidation of metals reacts to the constant sphere. This Testament aim metals to degrade overtime. Corrosion Testament interfere with the battery. It can be cleaned with a wire brush. Another choice is to spray the terminals and cables with anti-corrosion spray and let it sit for a scarce minutes. Then simply rinse it off.
2. Proof the battery's competence to control a charge. Distinct batteries enjoy a lifespan between 5 to 6 oldness. As they time they be reformed weaker and eventually are unable to clutch a charge. One custom of checking your battery is to recharge it, disconnect the cables and let it sit overnight. Reconnect the cables and try to begin the car. If the battery holds its charge then the source of the problem is not the battery.
3. Investigate the charging system. If the problem is not the battery itself then it may be that the alternator is not recharging the battery.There are two ways to do this. Start the car and turn the headlights on. If the headlights are dim this indicates that the lights are running off of the battery. The alternator is producing little or no power. The source of the problem could be any part of the electrical system from a bad wire to frozen fuel pump relay switch. Use an ammeter to try to locate the problem. Disconnect one of the battery cables. Connect one ammeter lead to the cable and the other lead to the battery terminal.
4. Inspect the electrical system. If the battery and charging system functioning properly the only option left is the electrical system. Something is causing the battery to drain while the car is turned off. You can also check the alternator with a voltmeter. Connect the red positive test lead of the voltmeter to the positive terminal of the battery. Connect the negative test lead the the negative terminal of the battery. The voltmeter should register 14.5 volts with the engine turned on. The ammeter should read 25 milliamps with the ignition in the off position. If it is reading around 100 milliamps this indicates an electrical problem. There is something stuck in the on position. The next step is to begin removing fuses till the ammeter drops to 25 milliamps. This will tell you where the problem is.
