is it the alternator?

T

TekneeK

Member
Location
Dallas, TX
a few days ago as i was walking out of half price books, my car didn't start. nothing came on. all electronics was down & no clicking sound was made when i turned the ignition. i assumed it was the alternator gone dead bc my battery is only 3 months old. i than opened my car door & closed it again just to try starting it one more time. what do you know, it started without any hesitation. a few days go by & last night as i was getting off work it happened again. i tried the door trick but this time it didn't bite. i got a jump start & it started back up. this morning i tested the car again & it starts up fine for now... so the question is, is the alternator bad or can it be a rusted wire, or something else electrical? my guess is it has something to do with the cold bc both times it didn't start was when it was a bit chilly outside. i haven't changed the alternator since i got the car. she's an '05.
 
Probably a wiring issue. Check the battery cables. Alternator doesn't start the car, so even if the alternator goes bad, it just doesn't charge the battery which then goes dead and car doesn't start. I've had alternator issues before and in those cases, the car will eventually die while driving since the alternator isn't running the electrical while the car is on. Intermittent starting like this points to a loose wire or perhaps issues with the new battery. If the alternator died, the car wouldn't just restart after not starting.

I had a similar issue happen last month. Relatively new battery (1 year). Was wrapping my roof so left the sunroof open for about 3 hours. Tried to pull the car out of the garage and first try, nothing. Just click and the dome lights cut out and car went dark. Checked all connections and fuses, everything looked fine. Came back in and car started immediately. Still can't figure out what caused it. Battery and alternator test fine, all connections look good, no blown fuses. But it was like someone pulled the battery cable as soon as I turned the ignition - car lost all power. Can't replicate it at all now.
 
I would check your battery cables and terminals for signs of corrosion, if present clean both with a battery post cleaner inside and out, not just the corrosion on the outside of the terminals. Also make sure that you tighten the leads on the battery posts. If you still have problems even with clean terminals and tight connections, I would start checking your chassis ground wires and so on.
 
i appreciate all the great insight. i'm glad it's not the alternator. dealership quoted me $750 to replace, jesus. car has been starting up fine all day today. i will see what happens at night. i will also check the battery cables for corrosion. this is why i love this site. =)
 
What brand of battery did you buy? I use this platinum battery from Sears. It has 740CCA and is a deep cycle battery, great for cold weather starts and running amps.IMG_20131025_194414_354_zpsa616506a.jpg
 
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this was happening to me. open up the battery cover and see if you have some corrosion around your positive wire. I wiggled it back and forth, up and down, and then it started. got home and cleaned it up with a wire brush
 
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