Hi hello,
I don’t know jack about cars, please help!
2015 Ford Focus (yes I know trash but it’s what I got). About 4 weeks ago it was having trouble starting, could hear it trying to start and it would take about 10-15 sec before it started. Then a day or so later it wouldn’t start at all without being jumped. Battery was corroded on both positive and negative, mechanic replaced the battery.
Started fine after that for a few days, then periodically wouldn’t start, just clicked but the radio and lights all worked. There was no rhyme or reason seemingly as to when or why, sometimes needed a jump, sometimes started fine, sometimes didn’t start, waited 5 mins, started no problem. Over the course of about 10 days it got worse to needing a jump to just not starting even with a jump, towed to mechanic and was told it was the starter. Replaced the starter.
Was working fine again for the last 2 weeks, started every time no problems until Tuesday night I took the dog to the park for about 45 mins and then it wouldn’t start at the dog park. Had to get a jump, got home. Started yesterday no issues, and now this morning won’t start even from a jump but the lights and radio are still working. I’m supposed to take it in tomorrow (likely tow) and I’m hoping to understand what could be going on before I get there so I know I’m not being taken for $$$. The battery started corroding again less than a week later, not sure if that is a sign of something? Bad wiring?
Thank you 🙏🏻
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You could have a bad electrical connection from the battery to the starter motor. Check the battery ground connection to the engine block. Check the alternator output voltage - may not be sufficient to charge the battery. Consider taking your car to a different workshop.
Also when your battery is in discharged state, you should put the battery on a charger (deep charge). Cranking the engine takes a lot of energy out of the battery and going for short trips won’t be enough time for the alternator to recharge it.
Look to see if your battery has a Charge Indicator (Magic Eye) which indicates the condition or health of the battery using colour codes. e.g. Green = fully charged, Red = fully discharged, etc. The clicking sound is made by the starter motor relay and indicates that the battery is in discharged state or a bad electrical connection exists in the starter motor circuit including at the battery terminals. There’s plenty of online info explaining how to clean your battery terminals. Hope this helps.
Thank you. No charge indicator. Going to get a battery charger tonight and see how that does. I have an appt at a different garage on Monday.
Look for a 12 volt charger with Auto-polarity detect and over-charging protection. Auto-polarity detect means that no damage will be done if you accidentally get the charger to battery connections wrong.
The corrosion was never removed in the first place. You have to get rid of it all, or it will continue to spread. If it can’t be cleaned, then the terminal end(s)/cable(s) need to be replaced.
Old bad battery / bad connections increase wear on the starter.
Do you have an actual battery/electrical shop in your area?
Thank you. The shop said they cleaned the corrosion when they changed the battery, I suppose not well enough. I have an appt at a different garage on Monday.
If it can’t be cleaned, then terminal ends/cables have to be replaced. A battery/electrical shop that does that specifically, and has cables, lugs, terminal ends in inventory can do that better/faster/cheaper than a mechanical shop that doesn’t have any of that stuff, and doesn’t do things like that specifically.