Starting/charging problems

[jrstaples1]

Hey, I'm hoping the collective genius of TGC can help me figure this one out. I've got a 2000 ES 2.4L, 225k mi (85k on the engine), daily driver. It's basically stock; I drive it less than 5 mi. to campus every day and between GA and IN a couple times a year.

I started having some starting issues a few months back. Every now and then I'd turn the key and it would just click once, then usually start on the second try. This got more frequent and would require more than a couple tries to get it started.

I replaced the starter a few weeks ago and the problem went away, only to return. The battery tests fine per autozone. When I let it run the alt. charges well initially (around 14.6v), then slowly drops. I'm still letting it run and it's down to 13.9v after about 20 minutes running.

I'm going to continue to let it run and just see how low the alt. goes. I was thinking I could have it tested at autozone if it dropped below 13.5 or so, but I don't know if they're going to be able to tell me anything that I didn't already find out with my multimeter. Any thoughts?

[jrstaples1]

Ok, so it dropped down over the course of 30 minutes or so and eventually charged consistently around 13.85-13.9v. I'm going to rule out parasitic drain next, I guess.

[jrstaples1]

Only 10 mA drain with everything off. This makes me think it's the battery (even though it tested ok), but that doesn't explain why my brake lights are dim while driving.

[Black8GV6]

This same thing happened to me about 4 years ago with my galant. Everything tested normal by the dealer (the starter, alternator, and battery). Car would still randomly not start for a week. I got fed up so I got a new battery and paid a shop to put on a new starter even tho their test came back normal. After I did this car has been fine ever since.

[jrstaples1]

This same thing happened to me about 4 years ago with my galant. Everything tested normal by the dealer (the starter, alternator, and battery). Car would still randomly not start for a week. I got fed up so I got a new battery and paid a shop to put on a new starter even tho their test came back normal. After I did this car has been fine ever since.

Well, there you go. I was wondering about getting a new battery too, even tho it tests good. It's a brand new starter, but I wonder if I shouldn't tear it off and test it too. Its acting like a solenoid. When it won't start, it's just one click. Won't turn over or anything.

Also, even though I let it run for about 30 min yesterday and the batt. showed 12.6v after I shut it off, it has dropped down to 10.8v this morning.

[qnz]

10.8 is pretty low. The battery should be 12.x even after sitting for a few days.

[jubeiaire]

the one click and power out is usually from a bad ground, this was the issue we were having after my engine/tranny swap. the ground to the starter wasnt tight enough....its a lil black clip closer to the block wall behind the power cable see if its loose or cover in oil or grime. also check your ground line from battery to frame junction(the lil bolt right next to the fuse box). if its all corroded and crappy clean it up put a lil waterprrof grease and lock it down. last ground to check is from plenum to firewall the fire wall side sometimes gets rusted and crappy.

All this should take 15-20 mins depending on how fast a wirebrush scrubber you are.

[jrstaples1]

the one click and power out is usually from a bad ground, this was the issue we were having after my engine/tranny swap. the ground to the starter wasnt tight enough....its a lil black clip closer to the block wall behind the power cable see if its loose or cover in oil or grime. also check your ground line from battery to frame junction(the lil bolt right next to the fuse box). if its all corroded and crappy clean it up put a lil waterprrof grease and lock it down. last ground to check is from plenum to firewall the fire wall side sometimes gets rusted and crappy.

All this should take 15-20 mins depending on how fast a wirebrush scrubber you are.

I'm a little confused. There's a power wire to the starter solenoid with a black clip and another black clip/yellow wire that clips near the block on the firewall side of the engine (it comes off the power wires going to the alternator).

I was thinking ground too, and last night I ran a new ground to the transmission. To be clear, I didn't replace the entire ground cable, just ran another straight off the batt. to the transmission. Funny thing, it started right up after that. I shut it off and it started right up again. A couple hours later, back to one click.

I'm tearing off the alt. right now to have it tested and I'm testing the batt. again. Anybody ever have trouble getting that lower alt. bolt off where it hits the plastic inner wheel well?

[jrstaples1]

By the way, that yellow wire with the black clip goes back into a wiring harness below the fuse box near the air filter box and then through the firewall, if that helps.

[jrstaples1]

Ok, I took the alt. and battery in to be tested. Alternator is good, battery is bad. While the battery was being charged/tested, I removed the entire engine harness to inspect and I replaced the ground cable with new 2 awg cable. I was going to post a few pics but I didn't realize it's url only.

Anyway, I put the new battery in and it started right up. I'm not entirely convinced the problem is permanently solved, since it was starting sporadically before the new battery but we'll see. Thanks again for your help!

[bgood12]

Glad it worked hopefully u got optima it just eliminates the battery being a problem in the future. Good job again.

[tamim13]

Just one more suggestion as I had a similar problem in my 8G. When you turn the key and you hear the click, but the engine doesn't turn, check if the lights dim in the car. If it doesn't, there's a chance that the ignition switch has gone bad. That's why it happens sometimes and not always. It's not expensive, cost me about $25 or so, if I remember.

[jubeiaire]

run the car for two days if the issue doesnt come back then most likely your bad ground was either draining the battery or not allowing it to charge properly or both....constantly draining a battery and not charging it properly will kill a batteries ability to hold a top off charge.......if it does come back tamim's ideah is another good place to check.

[shadow83]

[QUOTE=jubeiaire;756930]the one click and power out is usually from a bad ground, this was the issue we were having after my engine/tranny swap. [QUOTE]
Same here. Click and dead. Wiggled and tightened battery clams, one click and dead. Turned out to be the negative cable from the battery, it was corroded in the clamp. Replaced the battery clamp and cleaned the connections and fine.

A little lead acid battery info. In colder climates batterys usually give signes of going by slow cranking which is indicative of cold wear, most of us are very familiar wiht this on a sub-zero morning and late for work. In warm climates and with heat and age (which can also happen in cold climates but not as common) they just die. You can jump the battery and they may be fine for a while and then dead again. This is from the lead oxide sediment in the bottom of the battery shorting the plates. With heat and age this sediment falls from the plates and sloshes around the bottom of the battery, when there is enough and the conditions are right it can short out plates causing one or more cells to die (each cell is 1.5V). When you jump the battery the shock disturbs the sediment and the plates are no longer shorted, but it will happen again later when it sloshes again to short plates.