Yesterday car wouldn't turn over but a couple of times and then click, click; like a weak battery. Put it on the charger a couple of minutes and it started right up. Left it running for 30 minutes and it restarted OK.

This morning, same thing again. I took it to car parts store and had them check the battery. Reading 800 cold cranking amps. The battery was only about a year old.

Seems like the battery is good but not sure why it's not starting. It's been cold but nothing unusual.

Ideas.

Keith

 

Bad ignition switch maybe?

 

Would it turn over at all if the ignition switch was bad? And why would hooking up a charger make any difference?

 

1) The battery
2) Ignition switch
3) Starter and/or solenoid

If its your ignition switch the A/C will not engage.

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1. Battery: Assume the fact that it's got 800 cold cranking amps it is fine.

2. Ignition Switch: Why would it start with charger after a couple of minutes? When you say A/c won't engage, are you talking once the car is started?

Keith

 

Lock the car when you leave it if you don't already. Unlocked = serious battery drain.

 

Unlocked drains the battery??? Never heard that, what's the main cause of drain?

 

I'm not sure what the drain is, but just have heard that as a common issue with dead battery...

Even locked, mine will die in two weeks... That's on a new battery and alternator...

 

I assume all connections are clean and securely tightened? Even what appears to be a firm connection may not be firm enough for good electrical conductance. Turn your lights on and off and measure voltage. Is it possible to test your battery under load, i.e. use a voltmeter while someone is cranking it over? The battery shouldn't dip below 12.4v or so.

 

What happens if you put it on the charger for a minute and restart it, but shut it off right away, then try and start it? Does the same thing happen, or can you start it right back up? That would point to the ignition switch. The charger making it work may just be a red herring.

If you can't start it right back up, then I'd figure battery or alternator. I had a similar weird problem a few months ago and it turned out the alternator was on its last legs. It blew a couple of months after the weird behavior started happening.