Starting Issues

[Twans97]

So no issues all summer and then i didnt start it for 2 weeks. Last night i tried starting it and it didnt turn over. i trickle charged it for a few hours and then she started up, i drove it for 10 minutes or so. tried to start it today and wouldnt turn over again. charged it again for 3 hours then started it and let it idle for 30 minutes. went back in there 2 hours later and it wouldnt start again. 6 month old battery. Any ideas? Alternator?

Any help is much appreciated..thx

 

[dave6666]

Bad battery or battery connection would be my guess. Does it get driven often? What kind of battery is it?

 

[fdjake]

What's the volt meter in your car reading??? It should be well over 12 volts, more like 14. It sounds like you may have a discharge problem.

You can pick up a charging system tester for very little money. It will tell you what VOLTAGE your battery is putting out and how much the alternator is producing.

I'd start there.

 

[cyaford]

I'm with Dave on the bad battery.

The battery in the Viper is VERY sensitive. I've gone through several batteries, before getting wise and buying a battery tender from JonB. No issues this year, and I still drive mainly on the weekends, sometimes going a month between starts. On all of my battery issues, the battery tested out as "good" at Autozone on their tester. I still opted for a replacement and the car would start right up after installing the new battery. Even a slightly weak battery can cause the symptom your car is having.

 

[dave6666]

Plus, idling for 30 minutes probably ain't doing much to charge the battery. If the battery is already weak, that may have actually drained it.

 

[Madduc]

If your battery was 'dead' ,trickle charging will not fully re-charge it. First get a higher amperage charger, approx 10 amps. Charge for at least 12 hours. Then as others have said, see what your volt gauge is showing when the car is running, check battery connections, possible drain on battery(dome light??).

 

[Twans97]

I charged on 10 AMP and the volts read 14, so i took it out for a spin and while sitting in traffice it died. it started right back up but died a couple more times. Made my way back home with no issues. Connection issue maybe? I guess i should pull off the tire and check it out. Any other ideas other than that?

 

[plumcrazy]

If your battery was 'dead' ,trickle charging will not fully re-charge it. First get a higher amperage charger, approx 10 amps. Charge for at least 12 hours. Then as others have said, see what your volt gauge is showing when the car is running, check battery connections, possible drain on battery(dome light??).

this guy knows what he speaks