Yippee! my car won't start...

[arab pinnochio]

The problem started with the stock battery. I upgraded to a 700 amp cc battery and still, sometimes my car will barely start. I don't know if it's the battery, the starter, the alt. or anything else. It's such a transient problem. The battery reads 12.7 volts and the alt 14.5 volts and with a current gun I measured between 1-3 amps draw from the battery with the aftermarket stereo turned off. For regular use the stereo draws roughly 12 amps with no headlights/heater turned on, so the alt. isn't taxed at all. Usually when it happens, I'll have driven a short 2 miles and leave my car for an hour. When I come back it will barely start. The problem never really happens after the car has been sitting overnight. All the dealer wants to do is look for a dark current draw on the battery but I don't think that would find anything. Ideas?

 

[Demonic-Speed]

Are the bat terminals clean? Mine had some really bad build up on them and it cause a poor connection.

 

[ZenProtege]

my car never starts right up quickly after its been sitting for a while....... I've read a lot of ppl's proteges are the same. its a combination of weak stock battery/starter motor. Have you checked the voltage at the starter when you crank it?, you might have a loose or dirty ground to the starter causing a voltage drop. Also put a DVOM on your battery and crank it. If your battery drops below 9v while it cranking the battery is bad

 

[girth]

For regular use the stereo draws roughly 12 amps with no headlights/heater turned on, so the alt. isn't taxed at all.

Sorry I have no ideas but damn the stereo draws a sustained 12 amps?! Or is that peak? That seems way high.

 

[II-Savy]

Sorry I have no ideas but damn the stereo draws a sustained 12 amps?! Or is that peak? That seems way high.

Yea that's not right, way too much. Unless we're talkin' the whole system.

 

[Shadow102]

also check the parasitic draw while the whole car is off. My stock battery died realy easilly when i bought my car i switched to an optima yellow top and it works perfectly now

 

[arab pinnochio]

thx all for replies...

This is with an aftermarket battery. The stereo system consists of two JL AUDIO amps and the current draw is usually between 8-12 amps when turned up. The terminals are clean and the grounds from the amps and battery's negative are solid. Ideas?

 

[ZenProtege]

Check the battery when you go to crank it like I posted earlier. those amps could have messed up your battery. Check and see if they are drawing any power while they are off.....just a guess. I would get a volt meter and check your battery voltage on one of those times where you have trouble cranking it just to see if thats the prob. did you see how many volts was at the starter?