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Battery light is on....and off...

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#21 · (Edited)
If the condition was good for 7 months, and you have now checked cables and terminals and say they look good. BUT did you actually CLEAN them with anything that makes the terminals and posts "shiney" clean?, Dullness of "look" can still be high resistance(poor connection), which will give troubles. Did you also check the connections of the battery wires to the jumping posts in the engine compartment?
STRONGLY doubt that the OCR recall would have anything at all to do with your problem.

EDIT: HOW did you test the 7 month old battery? with a voltmeter or with a load tester for Ca/CCA ? You can have good volts, but that does not mean the available crank amps of the battery are sufficient to the systems needs, and will also tell if a cell in the battery is going bad. And what is the CA/CCA rating of the battery you bought? Hopefully equal to or GREATER then the Original one.
 
Discussion starter · #22 ·
I did clean the terminals and posts to make them shiny. I inspecting the wires best I could, but mainly focused down at the battery - will give another look tonight at the jumping posts.

I agree regarding the OCR, just suspicious timing, that's all.

The battery was tested with a volt meter, did not do a load test (nor do I know how....). The battery that I put in has the following specs:

Cold Cranking Amps (CCA): 525
Cranking Amps (CA): 655
 
#23 ·
OKAY that will help for members to have something to "chew on" to post up with suggestions. Battery is of good rating, so if a load test gets done(it is a meter tool much like a voltmeter in use) would say how many of those CA are actually there for use. You need more than volts to have a good battery. Any autozone type parts store can do this quick test for FREE and as long as you know that all cables from battery to the jumper posts are good, the load tester they have can be hooked up at the jumper posts and be accurate.
 
#28 ·
Bhelser1981 said:
well, did the load test this morning, and sure enough it is a bad battery cell.

at this point, that is excellent news. battery is under warranty.

thank you for the help!!
Click to expand...
Glad to hear it is the battery and not related to the OCR. I'm getting the recall done in a couple days and didn't want to swap problems.
 
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#31 ·
Sorry to hear that, was hoping that wouldn't happen. BUT yes when struggling thru with one bad component in a system, it puts more strain on other parts of the system. Make sure terminal wire ends are nice and clean when you put the replacement alternator in, as I said before to you in post #7.
 
Discussion starter · #32 ·
so I thought to myself: yeah, its some more time spent on the car, but not out cash because of the warranty......now I am just defeated!
New battery installed
New alternator installed

Battery light....still on!
 
#34 ·
Bhelser1981 said:
so I thought to myself: yeah, its some more time spent on the car, but not out cash because of the warranty......now I am just defeated!
New battery installed
New alternator installed

Battery light....still on!
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear of your woes, please let us know how you get on. Fingers crossed it's not anything expensive.
 
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Discussion starter · #35 ·
So I went in to take a look at everything again this afternoon, and noticed that the plastic cover on the positive terminal on the jump tower has melted....what does that mean?!? This wasn't like that a week ago, so sometime after installing the new alternator this has happened.

Is this a clue for anything?

Last ditch effort before taking it to the mechanic...
 
#36 ·
Positive (red) jumper? If so something is shorting in the main line and probably FRYING your electrical system. Check the battery connections that they are tight and not hitting any metal. And check the alternator wiring also.
 
Discussion starter · #37 ·
5rebel9 said:
Positive (red) jumper? If so something is shorting in the main line and probably FRYING your electrical system. Check the battery connections that they are tight and not hitting any metal. And check the alternator wiring also.
Click to expand...
YES THE positive jumper up top.

Battery connections are clear and tight at the battery as well as at the jumping tower. Will try to get in to check the alternator wires.

Ugh.....
 
#38 ·
Are you sure that plastic cover melted -after- the replacement of the alternator?

My 2008 avenger melted at the same spot and it was when the battery was going bad.
The deal replaced the battery and the melted wire harness $350.
Never had to replace the alternator. They claimed it was because of the failing battery that the alternator was charging/overcharging the battery all the time.

Never had a problem with the battery starting the car, just a light on the dash on the way to work one morning made me pop the hood and that is what I found. After work it started up, so I drove it to the dealer to look at.
 
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Discussion starter · #39 ·
No I'm not sure it was directly after the alternator....just when I noticed it. To date the car still hasn' died on me...but I haven't really tried to kill it...trying to avoid being stranded. I haven't really driven it all that much in the past 2 weeks.

Will dig into the alternator wires later. Not sure what else to do at this point short of signing over my paycheck to the mechanic lol
 
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