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Disconnect and clean your battery cable clamps and battery terminals. Make sure they are snug when you reinstall them. Also check any grounding points on the body you can find. If your battery case is dirty, you might as well remove it and clean it with a solution of water and baking soda. Clean off the battery tray too using this solution. Rinse the battery and tray with clear water afterwards. If your battery has removable caps, look inside and make sure your electrolyte is up the proper level in all the cells. Since the battery is out at this point, it wouldn’t hurt to connect it to a trickle charger overnight before reinstalling it.
I will try giving it a cleaning tonight, thank you. It has been quite frustrating because it seems like it wants to start but when it cranks, it cranks slowly and the lights will dim in the process.
Check the electrolyte level also. It may need some water added. Do not add acid. If you put it on a charger, open the electrolyte caps to allow gas venting. Batteries that sit for long periods of time without charging can also develop a condition called “sulfating” where a conductive sediment forms along the bottom and shorts the cells. If this has happened, you will need to replace the battery. It would be a good idea to have the battery load tested to make sure it can still deliver the required cranking amps to the starter.
So this may be a stupid question, but I am an amature mechanic. If I had the car hooked to another car for a jump start, would that still not provide enough power to get the car started if my vehicle had a dead battery in it?
If the cells in your battery are shorted, some of the power from the other car will be shorted as well. Like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in the bottom. So, yes, if the battery is bad enough, it can prevent a good jump start.
Other side of the coin, quite often, a poor jump start attempt comes down to the booster cable clamps. Wiggling them, repositioning them, holding your tongue just right and swearing at them will get things working 8 times out of 10. A failed jump doesn’t automatically condemn the battery.
I cleaned the terminals really well and tightened them up. Same result from attempting to jump start the car, slow crank that then builds up speed and keeps trying to start but never does. I do not get any clicking or any strange sounds, I just turn the key and it keeps cranking and not starting. But only if I have the jumpers connected. Without them the battery is dead even after a night on a trickel charger.
To begin with, replace the battery. From there, if a no-start still exists, it will be a lot easier to troubleshoot if the engine can be cranked without another vehicle. Plus, a shorted battery can prevent the ignition coil from producing spark.
I will try that, its a shame because the battery is only a year old. But I left it sitting so long it may just be done for.
If the battery is only a year old (bought new), then you might want check whatever pro-rated warranty came with it. It could save you a few bucks.
Update on my progress, I hooked the battery to a charger overnight and the battery works. The car now turns over starts and immediately shuts off.
Video of the issue, car starts will shut off immediately. If I hold the accelerator down after the start she will stay on but sputters a bit and will shut off when I let off.
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