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Posted: 8/3/2005 7:00:08 PM EDT
[#1]
Battery cable?
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Posted: 8/3/2005 7:01:33 PM EDT
[#2]
yeah, that crossed my mind
 could it be anything else? |
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Posted: 8/3/2005 7:03:00 PM EDT
[#3]
Make sure that none of the battery cabling is worn and grounding on the frame. That could be pulling your battery down.
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Posted: 8/3/2005 7:05:15 PM EDT
[#4]
Before you do anything you need to do a load test on the battery and a test on alt output. You also might have a drain somewhere, a light being left on,[under hood?] or a intermittant short. A going bad starter can also exibit some of these signs.
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Posted: 8/3/2005 7:06:49 PM EDT
[#5]
thank you for your help, keep 'em coming
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Posted: 8/3/2005 7:10:13 PM EDT
[#6]
Test that battery! New ones can be bad.
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Posted: 8/3/2005 7:10:17 PM EDT
[#7]
I had a problem like that once, bad brake switch left the brake lights on and the battery would die.
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Posted: 8/3/2005 7:12:36 PM EDT
[#8]
Have the battery load tested at a local Autozone or Advanced auto parts. My first thoughts where either a starter going or too much resistance in your battery cables causeing the starter to drag. One way to check and you wont get shocked doing it. Grab each battery cable in your hand, holding onto the insulation. Have wife crank the car and see if and how fast the cables heat up. if the heat up rapidly there is likely corrosion inside the cables causeing too much resistance for the current to get to the starter.
Starter motors also exhibit this same behavior. When the windings in them begin to go bad they tend to draw more power to turn over. Autozone has a tester called an ARBST tester which with a trained employeee can test the Altornator, regulator, starter and battery. Ask them to do a starter test and they can determin the amp draw of the starter. If its outa spec, replace it. |
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Posted: 8/3/2005 7:18:40 PM EDT
[#9]
thank you viper, damn good advice.
the only probem is the local autozone might as well be ran by monkeys 
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Posted: 8/3/2005 8:16:29 PM EDT
[#10]
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Posted: 8/3/2005 8:21:04 PM EDT
[#11]
bad battery.
if you don't like autozone try about any big chain.they can test it. |
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Posted: 8/3/2005 8:22:12 PM EDT
[#12]
Your battery was bad. Why you changed the alternator is beyond me. Always start with the cheapest part and eliminate from there.
Get her an Optima red top battery and forget about it for about 10 years. They can be found pretty much at any auto parts store for around $100. Worth every penny. Mine is going on 6 years. Been drained and recharged about a dozen times. Try that with a normal battery. HS1 |
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Posted: 8/3/2005 8:22:44 PM EDT
[#13]
Is your voltage regulator built into the alternator, or mounted seperately - if it is faulty, it could be dumping the juice from the alternator before it ever gets to the battery.
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Posted: 8/3/2005 8:25:06 PM EDT
[#14]
  HS1 |
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Posted: 8/3/2005 8:28:34 PM EDT
[#15]
check the condition of your battery cables. If they are not grounding out, then your battery is toast.
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Posted: 8/3/2005 8:30:32 PM EDT
[#16]
bad ground... that will be $149.99. Thank you for youe business.
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Posted: 8/3/2005 8:32:44 PM EDT
[#17]
Do you have the factory radio or did you install an aftermarket radio, or speakers? Has the outside temp been very hot the past couple of days? Anything out of the norm. that has just started besides the problem?
An example would be: it became summer and I started runnning the A/C. |
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Posted: 8/3/2005 9:13:08 PM EDT
[#18]
The voltage regulator should always be replaced at the time the alternator is replaced if it is not one unit.
Next time it is low, take a tool and lightly tap the battery connections, then crank it again. If it makes a difference, you have found the problem. Inspect the battery cables and flex them around a little bit. Sometimes the corrosion can progress under the insulation where it is hidden. |
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Posted: 8/3/2005 9:24:37 PM EDT
[#19]
everything is factory so, where is the ground usually located, on the frame somewhere? thanks and sorry for being so green 
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Posted: 8/3/2005 9:26:02 PM EDT
[#20]
Optimas go bad too... the one in my wrangler lasted less than a year. Optima says it cant be their battery....and denies warranty claim.............
Check and see if the lexus has a seprate voltage regulator -- it may be overcharging the battery and cooking it. Or the battery was bad due to an alternator problem or age, you changed the battery and still had the alternator problem in the meantime it damaged te new battery and you swaped out the alternator but by now the new battery was having issues -- have it and the alternator/charging system load tested to see if something is still faullty. |
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Posted: 8/3/2005 9:28:27 PM EDT
[#21]
Follow the negative (-) cable on the battery to where ever it goes. Is there any visible corrosion on the cables at the battery? |
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Posted: 8/3/2005 9:33:04 PM EDT
[#22]
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Posted: 8/3/2005 9:40:39 PM EDT
[#23]
I had the exact same problem on my old Ford. I cleaned the terminals and the inside of the terminal clamps with a wire brush and didn't have the problem again.
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Posted: 8/3/2005 10:19:07 PM EDT
[#24]
Back in 1998, I picked up a mint 92 Ford Escort for $300. It had 60k on it and was like new, the fabled "grandma owned and only driver twice a week" deal. I had it for a couple months, and started having the same issue you are. Battery went dead. Jumped it, it was fine. Next day, dead. Replaced battery. Started fine. A couple days later, dead. Alternator was fine. Cables fine. I gave up and sold it to my brother in law.................who after a couple WEEKS of searching, found that the little switch in the glove box door that turns the glove box lamp on when the door opens was stuck! The glovebox light was on continuously!
 He replaced it and hasn't had a problem since!
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Posted: 8/3/2005 10:38:47 PM EDT
[#25]
The exact same thing happen to me. I got a 91 Chevy S10 with only 68k miles for a fantastic price. (Free is pretty fantastic, right? ) I went to leave the house one morning and it was dead as hell. I charged it up and it started fine. When I got home that night, I noticed the glove box light was on. Removed the bulb and haven't had anymore problems.Vulcan94 (My Dad gave it to me. I got a really Cool Dad. )
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Posted: 8/3/2005 11:33:42 PM EDT
[#26]
When an alternator goes bad, the headlites will be dim when driving at night.
To test whether the starting sys or the battery is bad, turn on the headlites and hit the starter. Lights go dim => Bad battery Stay bright => Starting circuit/motor problem. A car that old probably has a bad connection in the cables. Just crimp everyone of the A thin film of metallic salts (corrosion) will totally stop electicity. Use a coffee can with baking soda/water to soak it off it you see ANY. |
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Posted: 8/4/2005 2:30:35 AM EDT
[#27]
It is time to diagnose, not throw parts.
Have you got a good digital voltage/ohm/ammeter? You need to check for parasitic draw. We can also check your battery cables/terminals in short order by doing a voltage drop while cranking. If this means nothing to you, IM me and I'll tell you how to do it. As far as "you always need to replace this with this", those fellows wouldn't last 20 minutes trying to fix cars for a living. That's what gives the whole industry a bad name. |
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Posted: 8/4/2005 5:49:26 AM EDT
[#28]
load test battery
verify alt output check and identify parasitic drain. see a pattern with a few posters here. |
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Posted: 8/4/2005 5:49:46 AM EDT
[#29]
this should be in the cars section
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Posted: 8/4/2005 6:16:30 AM EDT
[#30]
yeah battery drain can happen too, but shouldn't take a couple weeks searching, put on a voltmeter to read the current draw on the battery and remove fuses one by one, replacing them each time before removing the next one, until the current stops flowing, then bingo? there's a short or something in circuit that that fuse protects. There'll always be some current drain for the clock and maybe radio though |
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Posted: 8/4/2005 6:16:39 AM EDT
[#31]
BINGO! Never try to fix an elect problem without first checking it out with a meter. If you just want to spend some money on it, just send the bux to me. The car will be just as fixed as it would by bolting on non needed parts, and you won't even get your hands dirty.
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Posted: 8/4/2005 7:36:23 AM EDT
[#32]
Bad battery, bad cables, bad starter, bad voltage regulator are all places to start.
Check both battery cables for corrosion and loose connections - I had an intermittent problem similar to yours and it was a loose positive cable on the starter. Take a serious look at the voltage regulator also, make sure the battery is not over or under charging. |
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