Dieing Battery or Alternator?

[g8r]

Once last winter I went to start my X and I noticed the radio and clock was reset as if the battery was disconnected. This has now happened almost every day this week. It is now hard to start. Sounds like the battery is dead but does fire up after a couple of seconds tho. I checked the volts before starting and its 13 and while running its 14.6V. Could it still be the battery? What else can I check at home?Thanks Guys.

 

[captTelescope]

Another bad battery connection?!!

 

[rogerthatone]

Possibly a bad cell or a cell going bad in the battery?

 

[lonestar]

If the alternator was bad your battery would drain completly. easy way to check is to start it up and disconnect the battery. If it keeps running the alternator is good.

I've never seen the clock and radio reset, and still have enough juice to start.

 

[g8r]

If the alternator was bad your battery would drain completly. easy way to check is to start it up and disconnect the battery. If it keeps running the alternator is good.

I've never seen the clock and radio reset, and still have enough juice to start.

Really, I thought it was some sort of built in anti-drain feature? Anyways I put in a new battery. I realise this might not be the cure. On the way home I heard the solenoid click a couple times before it fired up. With the new battery it fired up right away. I thought one could damage the electrical system if one disconnects the battery while running?

How long will the battery last if it was the alternator?

 

[Crankcase]

Do NOT disconnect the battery when it is running...the voltage spike can ruin the alternator!

 

[lonestar]

It may cause your alternator to work at its peak, but it shouldn't kill it. I drove home without a battery when mine went dead, got a jump and drove home to work on it. Granted, no lights, no radio and no accesories.

How long will the battery last if it was the alternator?

Depends on several things, mostly lights and accessories. I would say just driving with no accesories, quite awhile. But at night with lights and a boomin stereo, you won't get very far.

 

[Crankcase]

The problem with having no battery is the regulation it provides on the voltages in the system.

If you ever try to run a car with no battery or a completley dead (won't charge at all) one, the charging needle will go nuts, and the lights will flicker....the alternator needs a load to put its energy into....