What the heck!

danielc24 · Post by **danielc24** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 7:14 pm

So today i drove around for a couple hours and decided to get something to eat. I got my food and parked and shut the car off.

When i went to start it to leave it was like my batt. was dead and then when i would turn the key my gauges would go crazy and my milage would flash. Then i turned my lights on and it was like i had the key off even when i turned it over.

My girlfriend gave me a jump and the car started right up , i thought everything was fine until i'm driving and my mileage was blinking while i was going down the road, and also my speedo went all the way past 120 and is resting on the stop pin. Then my battery light came on, would a dead battery be causing all this??

Post by **Canada** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 7:15 pm

Sounds more like a failing alternator to me...

danielc24 · Post by **danielc24** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 7:22 pm

but wouldn't it have died when i hit my brakes and used my turn signals?

King Crab · Post by **King Crab** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 7:23 pm

It sounds like the battery to me. I've been through 2 batterys and the first one went out just like you've described.

danielc24 · Post by **danielc24** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 7:24 pm

alright thanks guys

jckevns · Post by **jckevns** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 8:03 pm

check the alt
I just had to have the alt replaced on my sonata right before it went out the battery light came on and the radio turned off.
When my brothers alt went out on has cavalier the radio turned off, speedo and all the gauges stopped working

-Devil- · Post by **-Devil-** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 8:52 pm

my 01 neon went through 5 batteries ... i ended up getting one that i could check the fluid level in it ... that one is still in there now no problem at all ...

the battery is getting to hot (or overcharging, but my alt checked out fine) .. and it is boiling over ...

Post by **occasional demons** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 10:20 pm

-Devil- wrote:my 01 neon went through 5 batteries ... i ended up getting one that i could check the fluid level in it ... that one is still in there now no problem at all ...

the battery is getting to hot (or overcharging, but my alt checked out fine) .. and it is boiling over ...

Your alternator may be good but the voltage regulator is built into the PCM. I don't know if the neons have the battery temp sensor, but if they do yours could be dead: the PCM is supposed to lower the charging rate if temps are too hot and increase charging when it's cold. A nice feature but when the voltage regulator takes a dump, guess what needs replaced? $$PCM$$ ! Personally if mine ever fails I'm giong to wire a 70's style solid state VR to the alternator. May not be as efficient, but for the cost difference I can (still) buy alot of gas.

FTWNeon · Post by **FTWNeon** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 10:23 pm

King Crab wrote:It sounds like the battery to me. I've been through 2 batterys and the first one went out just like you've described.

Yeah, I'd go with the battery. Once mine went, it went hard and with out warning. Jumped it and it worked for awhile and then all the gauges started freaking out.

-Devil- · Post by **-Devil-** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 11:30 pm

occasional demons wrote:
-Devil- wrote:my 01 neon went through 5 batteries ... i ended up getting one that i could check the fluid level in it ... that one is still in there now no problem at all ...

the battery is getting to hot (or overcharging, but my alt checked out fine) .. and it is boiling over ...
Your alternator may be good but the voltage regulator is built into the PCM. I don't know if the neons have the battery temp sensor, but if they do yours could be dead: the PCM is supposed to lower the charging rate if temps are too hot and increase charging when it's cold. A nice feature but when the voltage regulator takes a dump, guess what needs replaced? $$PCM$$ ! Personally if mine ever fails I'm giong to wire a 70's style solid state VR to the alternator. May not be as efficient, but for the cost difference I can (still) buy alot of gas.

PCM was checked as well ... after about 4 months of trying various things .. it was determined, in my case .. that the battery was getting to hot and making the fluids boil over ...

aperson · Post by **aperson** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 12:21 am

I had the same problem, but it was after I left my lights on all day at school. Really screwed up the battery, just got it replaced under warantee though!