So my wifes truck clicks when I try to start it..

[venom3300]

Re: So my wifes truck clicks when I try to start it..

have you ever seen under the hood of a hyundai santa fe...don't even know where to start looking for the alternator...ha!



LOL!!

Just follow the serpentine...hopefully not in too bad a location...would they require it to be removed...cause that may be a problem...

i hate plastic engine covers...

[ne0hisda0ne]

Re: So my wifes truck clicks when I try to start it..

Could someone have left the interior light on or something else on that would have drained the battery?

that has happened a few times...but didn't think anything of it..then today stopped off at taco bell...parked to look for something and left the car on without the engine (running out of gas), radio was on...about 5 minutes of looking, went to start the car and it hesitated big time as if it didn't want to start but it had an eensy lil' bit of juice so it started, made my order and well got back to work...parked and well you know the rest of the story...

[Opontee]

Re: So my wifes truck clicks when I try to start it..

well instead of bashing my way of doing it, why don't you tell me a proper way of doing it?

Wasn't trying to bash, just trying to save you money.

If one cell in the battery is bad, sometimes there is enough juice in the other 5 to start it. I would suspect the battery is bad. If you charge it and it checks good, have the store check it about 3 to 5 times in a row.

[94Firebird34]

Re: So my wifes truck clicks when I try to start it..

What does the Batt read disconnected from the car use your volt meter to test Batt it should be from 11.5 to 13 volts if lower then that it is toast. If it is that then use same Volt meter to test amperage as this is what strats the car depending on the Batt it should have some where in the neighbour hood of 5 to 9 hundered amps again this is depending on the Batt check Batt specs before testing. If it is alot lower then specs that the Batt is toast.

[ne0hisda0ne]

Re: So my wifes truck clicks when I try to start it..

Truck is still going strong...gotta trip this weekend so I will try to charge the battery before we leave tonight...hasn't failed to start yet though...weird..

[Opontee]

Re: So my wifes truck clicks when I try to start it..

When you buy a battery for it, get one that has the most cca. You will be better off. And get one that has a nation wide warranty program.

[StrtRacer98]

Re: So my wifes truck clicks when I try to start it..

Last time I checked, they put the 'tester' on the vehicle, it goes through a series of tests with the car off, then you start the vehicle, and it SHOULD be running to test the alternator.

Im not sure how they test an alternator without it running, but maybe...

[ne0hisda0ne]

Re: So my wifes truck clicks when I try to start it..

Last time I checked, they put the 'tester' on the vehicle, it goes through a series of tests with the car off, then you start the vehicle, and it SHOULD be running to test the alternator.

Im not sure how they test an alternator without it running, but maybe...

so pretty much this guy could of done it wrong... *sigh* was afraid of that...

[StrtRacer98]

Re: So my wifes truck clicks when I try to start it..

Auto zone doesnt always have the smartest people working for them, they probably require about as much IQ as McDonalds or Burger King does

[ne0hisda0ne]

Re: So my wifes truck clicks when I try to start it..

Kid looked like he was in his early 20's...maybe late teen...zits all over his face...about 6 foot 6 inches and didn't seem like he knew ****...but I thought I'd give him the benefit of the doubt...as 3 others while I were there were getting batteries or being tested by him. I f'ing told him as we were walking out with the tester though that I think it's either the alternator or the battery and that I wanted to check both.

Sorry just ranting...hate ignorance...

[StrtRacer98]

Re: So my wifes truck clicks when I try to start it..

My local auto zone has a bunch of fuuck ups working there. I dont have a problem with people that have a job, and Im glad they do, but to work at an auto parts store and not know even the slightest info about automotives pisses me off.

They always ask, Can I help you? when I walk in and I say, No... you probably can't.

[speedingturtle]

Re: So my wifes truck clicks when I try to start it..

okay, so the battery is draining little by little. and the autozone guy tested the battery and said nothing was wrong with it...... then tested the alternator(incorrectly, i might add) and said that nothing was wrong with it.... have you checked all the obvious electrical connections for a possible short or anything of that nature? btw, i worked for advance autoparts in my late teens(this was almost 10 years ago,) and to test an alternator, the engine has to be running. i've done enough of those tests to never forget how they are done. something in that truck is draining just enough power from the battery to cause hesitation while starting....... i'd start looking for anything that could be drawing power. either that, or replace the battery with a stronger cca battery..... couldn't hurt to have a battery in the truck that has more power to begin with.

[Opontee]

Re: So my wifes truck clicks when I try to start it..

I have over 10 years behind an auto parts counter. Last worked one 18 years ago. I like to go in there and order stuff that's not for my car, like a Ford starter solenoid for my 68 Firebird,haha. I really have one on there. And a Dodge distributor cap (it's fits my Mallory dist). But I really hated was when someone came it to buy intake gaskets for a 302 Ford and I asked what year and they said they were all the same, so I got to pick out which ones I wanted to sell. Then the customer would come back and tell my I sold him the wrong ones. But I thought they were all the same!:cry:

[cam98aro]

Re: So my wifes truck clicks when I try to start it..

well I already tried it...truck instantly died...

if truck stayed on I can see someone connecting the battery while it was still on and a voltage spike happening...which only a moron would do that...but removing it and the truck dying and then reconnecting it while the truck is obviously not on, I don't see any harm in it...

truck started fine btw after I did it...thinking though obviously that test don't work for this truck...as when I rev the engine the battery increases it's voltage and when I turn on devices that require power the battery doesn't drastically decrease in voltage...

this is completely wrong

the battery puts a load on the system, disconnecting the battery when the car is running takes the load off of the charging system, and guess what happens.. voltage spike

this didnt really matter on the older cars because there was really nothing to blow out, but now today cars have 500 computers everywhere, and all of them could possibly be blown out

[ne0hisda0ne]

Re: So my wifes truck clicks when I try to start it..

this is completely wrong

the battery puts a load on the system, disconnecting the battery when the car is running takes the load off of the charging system, and guess what happens.. voltage spike

this didnt really matter on the older cars because there was really nothing to blow out, but now today cars have 500 computers everywhere, and all of them could possibly be blown out

well regardless if it's wrong or not it didn't do anything horrible to the system...truck still runs and works fine...so lucky me...