At Fixya.com, our trusted experts are meticulously vetted and possess extensive experience in their respective fields. Backed by a community of knowledgeable professionals, our platform ensures that the solutions provided are thoroughly researched and validated.
97 Chevy Blazer, battery and alternator good...dies all the time
For months now my Blazer has not held a charge and we have had to jump it more than we should. When I go to start the car it won't turn over and usually dies trying to start it and if I got it to start, had it running for hours it would take only minuets for it to drain and die. About a week ago I bought a negative disconnect switch, thinking there could be an unknown draw, and even with the switch it still dies just trying to get it to start, the battery is not getting the full charge needed to work properly. Both battery and alternator are good as of last week, so there has to be something else going on. HELP!!!
Re: 97 Chevy Blazer, battery and alternator good...dies...
In line fuse able link could be blown ,if alt is working fine and bat good i sugest you look closer at wire that goes betwen them and ground wires from moter to bat, motor to body and vise a versa
- If you need clarification, ask it in the comment box above.
- Better answers use proper spelling and grammar.
- Provide details, support with references or personal experience.
Tell us some more! Your answer needs to include more details to help people.You can't post answers that contain an email address.Please enter a valid email address.The email address entered is already associated to an account.Login to postPlease use English characters only.
Tip: The max point reward for answering a question is 15.
It is most likely having to do with your charging system. The car battery might have been weakened by jumping your aunts car. If your battery is fine and your battery connectors aren't corroded (have gunk all over them) then i would check your alternator. P.S. the 2001 chevy blazer is fuel injected, I would stop pouring fuel into where ever you are pouring it. lol.
this is one of two problems (maybe both) ...
1. The battery has been fully discharged before, preventing it from being able to hold a charge properly. This can be tested at a Sears Automotive Center. If the battery is no good, get a replacement and you should be fine (at least for a while). If you are going to go to Sears, have them run a full electrical diagnostic -- if there is something draining your battery while the car is not in use changing the battery will only hide the problem for a few months until the new battery fully discharges, and the same issue with resurface.
2. Your alternator is not charging the battery. It might be pumping out electricity to the wiring that it is connected to, but the charge may not be getting all the way to the battery. Sears can also check this with their diagnostic tools, and should be able to locate and repair the problem for you. Unfortunately, without a VERY expensive diagnostic machine, it is very hard to tell exactly where the problem is occurring .. so taking it in to a shop is probably your best bet.
IT COULD BE A BAD ALTERNATOR. JUMP START THE CAR, REMOVE THE JUMPER CABLES, PUT A VOLTMETER ON THE BATTERY. MOTOR RUNNING, VOLTAGE SHOULD READ 13.90 TO14.80. IF IT READS 13.00 OR LESS OR THE VOLTAGE STARTS DROPPING, THE ALTERNATOR IS NOT CHARGING. BEFORE BUYING AN ALTERNATOR, GET A GOOD FUSE TESTER, CHECK EVERY FUSE,, FUSEBOX UNDER THE HOOD & THE FUSEBOX INSIDE THE VEHICLE. IF ALL FUSES CHECK GOOD & BATTERY VOLTAGE IS LOW WITH MOTOR RUNNING, THE ALTERNATOR MUST BE BAD.
Make sure your battery is secured by a good battery hold-down system...if the battery shifts in the tray and the positive terminal touches the fender, the dead short will immediately kill the vehicle.
Also, take the alternator to a parts store and have it tested if your battery is held down firmly. The whining noise can be bad alternator bearings. On a vehicle of this vintage, this is a possibility for the noise. It is furthermore possible that the alternator has died electrically, and during a lengthy drive, the vehicle's own electrical consumption will drain the battery and the vehicle will die en route.
When you jump it off, it gets enough charge from the donor vehicle to drive, but if the alternator is dead, it can't keep the vehicle supplied with enough energy to operate.
get a load test done on you battery and alter nator and check your starter for corrision check battery connections before you jump start it and when hooking up cables to your truck let it charge for a few minutes before you crank it if alternator is fried it will only run on juice of battery then will die.the clicking sound is your starter trying to engage but not enough cranking amps left in battery if you can get it going or take the battery out and take to a good auto shop and get them to load test it no point replacing a good battery just to find out it is alternator or starter
I personaaly think it may be alternator but suggest you test if battery is good starter as well ! more thing check that battery terminals are clean and tight
check battery voltage when you turn off car. it should be 12.5 volts.if drops 11.0 volts the battery is got a weak cell in it.i bought a sears die hard battery it last 2 years the battery had a defect .it had a bad cell it short out the battery.check alternator wires for defects.
if you removed the dome lightbulb then there is no longer a draw from the battery there but if the ashtray light light does not go out then over a period the battery will go dead or drained to the point to not the vehicle
I would have all the grounds checked. Sounds like it is not grounding properly. This will in turn not allow the battery to charge correctly and will make other electrical devices to operate incorrectly. For example the body ground if not good it will try to find another ground IE the shift cable. This is not designed to maintain a connection of amperage and will allow battery to die. Also will cause problem with cable and could fatigue it enough to break. Just check for good grounds on motor and body. Hope this helps. Good Luck.
It sounds to me as though you may have an alternator concern and when it is running all it using is the battery and will die when the battery runs down.I would charge the battery up and start the truck then using a digital volt meter and take a voltage reading at the battery with the lights on and the engine running it should read between 13.1 volts and 15 volts if it doesnt you probably need an alternator.
Let me know
×