Vehicle won't start
- Thread starter carguy
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2008
- Messages
- 25,771
- Reaction score
- 701
- Points
- 113
A fully charged battery is 12.75 volts, once you get into the 11's the vehicle may not start.
You could have an old battery. Have the battery fully charged and tested.
You could have an alternator that is not charging the battery. Have the charging system tested.
You could have a parasitic draw on the battery. Using an multi-meter determine the draw on the battery when all systems are shut down.
You could have an old battery. Have the battery fully charged and tested.
You could have an alternator that is not charging the battery. Have the charging system tested.
You could have a parasitic draw on the battery. Using an multi-meter determine the draw on the battery when all systems are shut down.
reble
Member
Melsg5. Just any old VOM (multi-meter) will not work on a car charging system. A VOM has to be put inline with the positive battery lead. Also a standard VOM only has 2 amp settings uA and mA. I have 2 VOM's, that are more spendy then the normal VOM that Radio Shack used to carry. If you put one of those cheap VOM's inline with a car battery. You will burn it up and melt the VOM the 1st time that power is put through it.
I have an AA degree in electronics and I used to fix 2 way radio's, tv's and vcr's. back in the day when it was worth fixing them. Now-a-days when an electronic device breakes down. You throw it out and buy a new one. I have an Ideal model 61-340 VOM that can handle up to 10 amp's at 100% duty cycle inline. I also have Sperry model DSA-500 that can handle 400 amps at 100% duty cycle AC and 300 amps DC at 100% duty cycle. The Sperry DSA-500 has the induction coil clip that you just clip over the positive battery lead instead of putting the VOM inline with the battery cable. Both of my VOM's and a few other odd's and ends of test gear that I was able to keep when I had to retire.
Yes I agree with Melsg5. Have the battery and the charging system checked 1st. Looking for a parasitic drain on the battery is like looking for a needle in a hay stack. I have hunted for a few of those parasitic drains in the past.
I have a small parasitic drain in my 2008 Pontiac Torrent SUV from the memory in my 2 Amateur radio transceivers. The drain is only a few uamp's. But I still start my SUV once a week. Because I can only afford so much gas a month from my SSDI direct deposit. When the gas is gone. The SUV sit's parked and I take Dial-a-Ride. That's the local transit's bus service for people that can't walk to the regular fixed bus routes for medical reasons.
PS: yes if the battery voltage drops bellow 11 VDC. More then likely the vehicle won't start without a boost. I carry a set of jumper cables just in case someone needs a jump. I keep up on what my SUV needs are. I can't afford a break down on the road. The last break down that I had on the road. I had to leave my Toyota wagon on the side of the hiwy for 3 days before I could arrange for a tow. The wagon was striped and trashed by the time I got back to it.. It was a sample fix, I just couldn't do it on the hiwy with the tools that I had on me.
A 2nd PS: I have to add that any kind of VOM will read the battery voltage. What I am referencing to is reading the amp draw that the VOM has to be inline with the positive battery lead.
I have an AA degree in electronics and I used to fix 2 way radio's, tv's and vcr's. back in the day when it was worth fixing them. Now-a-days when an electronic device breakes down. You throw it out and buy a new one. I have an Ideal model 61-340 VOM that can handle up to 10 amp's at 100% duty cycle inline. I also have Sperry model DSA-500 that can handle 400 amps at 100% duty cycle AC and 300 amps DC at 100% duty cycle. The Sperry DSA-500 has the induction coil clip that you just clip over the positive battery lead instead of putting the VOM inline with the battery cable. Both of my VOM's and a few other odd's and ends of test gear that I was able to keep when I had to retire.
Yes I agree with Melsg5. Have the battery and the charging system checked 1st. Looking for a parasitic drain on the battery is like looking for a needle in a hay stack. I have hunted for a few of those parasitic drains in the past.
I have a small parasitic drain in my 2008 Pontiac Torrent SUV from the memory in my 2 Amateur radio transceivers. The drain is only a few uamp's. But I still start my SUV once a week. Because I can only afford so much gas a month from my SSDI direct deposit. When the gas is gone. The SUV sit's parked and I take Dial-a-Ride. That's the local transit's bus service for people that can't walk to the regular fixed bus routes for medical reasons.
PS: yes if the battery voltage drops bellow 11 VDC. More then likely the vehicle won't start without a boost. I carry a set of jumper cables just in case someone needs a jump. I keep up on what my SUV needs are. I can't afford a break down on the road. The last break down that I had on the road. I had to leave my Toyota wagon on the side of the hiwy for 3 days before I could arrange for a tow. The wagon was striped and trashed by the time I got back to it.. It was a sample fix, I just couldn't do it on the hiwy with the tools that I had on me.
A 2nd PS: I have to add that any kind of VOM will read the battery voltage. What I am referencing to is reading the amp draw that the VOM has to be inline with the positive battery lead.
Last edited: