Find solution
What is the best car battery in India?

Can car battery corrosion prevent my alternator from charging the battery?

  • So, my car battery went dead the other day, and jumping it did not seem to do anything. I called AAA, and on the first two tries, the AAA guy could not seem to charge my car battery with his battery charger either. He finally managed to charge it (and it charged within seconds!) only when he attached the charging cable directly onto the battery terminal (and not on the metal battery cable terminal attached to the battery post) - so it seemed to both of us that the connection between the battery terminal and the cable terminal is being screwed up by the corrosion on the terminal. Anyway, now that he finally managed to charge the battery, I drove to school, but 7-8 hours later, when it was time to drive home, my battery was completely drained again, and I couldn't start my car. I managed to charge it again with the help from a friend (used her truck to charge my battery via jumper cables), but my question is - why did the battery get discharged so quickly? Why did the alternator not charge my battery? Can corrosion prevent the alternator from charging up my battery? Additional details: the car battery is brand new (few days old); the alternator is working fine (the AAA guy tested it). Thank you!

  • Answer:

    Yes the corrosion can cause a bad connection. Make sure all your ground wires are also not too corroded. You can buy some anti corrosion spray from auto zone and just spray it then wipe it.

bob at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

Corrosion could definately be the culprit here. When the battery was originally replaced the terminals should have been cleaned by the installer. A voltage drop test would help you in testing this connection. As well it wouldn't hurt to do a parasitic amp draw to find out if there is something drawing on the battery after you've shut the car off. Somehow I think the original battery suffered from the same problem. Possibly...that is. You really don't need to keep getting stranded so testing should really be done. Good Luck to You...

kevusaborn

Definately yes, if there is corrosion between the battery terminal and the batter cable the alternator cannot charge the battery. Check the ground cable where it hooks to the engine and check the ground cable that hooks the engine to the chassis. Make sure no corrosion is on any of those connections either. Also check the alternator ground for corrosion. This is all just routine tune-up stuff.

Pinger

Yes, corrosion can do that, but it is not usually the case. You probably have a loose connection either at the battery, or at the cable ends where the battery connector terminal attaches to the cable. By the way, to check your alternator, once you have the engine running, remove one of your battery cables,"preferably the ground". If the engine continues to run, your alternator is charging. Good luck...

bhs2paint

If you have any corrosion on the battery cables you should clean them,plus it would be a good idle to remove the battery ends and clean the center of them along with the post on the battery.The corrosion will keep the alternator from charging the battery,

Handyman

Yes the corrosion is killing your battery, 1. disconnect battery 2 Recharge battery 3.baking soda and water to clean scrubbed with a wire brush then rinsed with water. Once reconnected cover with vaseline. Any other questions see the guys at San Jose Generator. 408-293-2200 tell Rod I sent you :)

Denise S

sounds to me you have a bad alternator, did you have the alt. checked if so and it is good you have a draw in the electrical system , in other words a short .

gee-man

yes, but check (-) cable/strip between engine and body

John

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.