my question is......for those who have relocated their batterys to the trunk.....do you have any problems keeping you batteries charged???......i'm trying to see if its the location on my battery thats the problem....or if its actually the battery itself....my battery light or low volt light has been coming on.....and its gotten to the point where the abs light comes on....and the radio completely shuts itself off....a/c doesn't work (not that i really use it)....blah blah blah....and i 've recently (about a month) put in a new alternator.....i'm pretty sure its the battery....but before i drop 150 bucks for another optima battery....i figure i'd ask....thanks....
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I'm sure others can provide more detailed suggestions, but my first impression is that must be a problem with the connections or charging system. Location shouldn't matter, as long as it's wired correctly -- and the charging system of the car should easily support all those accessories *while the car is running*, regardless of how pathetic the battery may be.
That's not to say a poor battery wouldn't make things worse. It should be cheap enough to get it load-tested, and rule that out.
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What gauge wire are you using? Did you ground the battery to the trunk or the engine?
4 ga wire all around....and yes...the battery is grounded.....battery to rear strut tower.....rear strut tower to front strut tower.....front strut tower to battery tray.....battery tray to engine block.......
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so i ended up getting a new battery after all....my damn car wouldn't start....and i got stuck at work....so i had to walk about 2 miles to an autozone.....and picked up a battery.....anyways....got the battery in....car started up just fine.....then BAM!!!....the battery light came on AGAIN....so i took the my old battery back to autozone...for the core....and i had them check it...it WAS bad....which means i didn't completely waste 200 f@#king dollars....but also means theres something else wrong.....the guy at autozone suggested to turn on the car...and disconnect the negative battery cable while the car is running....and if the car cuts off.....that means the alternator is bad....which i tried...and the car cut off....damn it!!!....i just bought that alternator.....
what do you think would happen if i ran 4 ga wire from the alternator to the starter???......
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Delete the cable from the battery tray to the engine and run the cable from the front strut tower directly to the block while you are at it, and where did you get the alternator? Some parts houses sell crap for rebuilts, if you can afford it, order an alternator from GMPartsdirect.com or Newgmparts.com. They are reman, but should be a hell of alot better than Joe-Bob's Parts Store alternators. From GMpartsdirect its 200 bucks plus shipping for the Z-24 alternator.
got the alternator from autozone....considering its walking distance from my house....but i'm going to return the one i have....considering it should be on warranty......hell....if i'm going to spend 200 bucks.....might as well try to find one that puts out more amps.....any suggestions???.....
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Okay I have a few sggestions for you.
1. Get the car looked at at least by a shop. For $20, which is 1/10 of what the battery cost, places will do a chargeing/start/diag, and tell you what is wrong.
2. On older cars you used to be able to remove the battery cable while it was running, now a days, that will take out computers due to it voltage spiking
- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new
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2. On older cars you used to be able to remove the battery cable while it was running, now a days, that will take out computers due to it voltage spiking
usually works on new cars too. we boost cars with no battery,damaged batterys, and cut cables all the time. we boost them, take the cables off and drive them. 90% of the time they stay running, unless the alternator is done.
http://registry.gmenthusiast.com/images/my2005cav/my%20car%20the%20bash.jpg
I've never had a fuel injected car run without the battery connected in my life, the ECM needs the battery to operate (the alternator usually won't work right without the battery, thats why bad batteries can fry alternators), wich means no fuel (or spark for that matter) without the battery. Maybee some cars are wired differently, but my J-body won't run with the battery disconnected, the guy at autozone doesn't know what he's talking about. Just hook a volt meter up to your battery with the car running. If the voltage drops and stays down (especially below 12) when accesories are turned on, it means the alternator is bad. If the volt meter is showing very high voltage, like16volts ideling with no fans or lights turned on, the voltage regulator is bad, either way the alternator would need replaced. It should read about 12.5 to 13 volts, and when a fan or the lights are tuned on, the voltage should drop a little for a split second and then go back to where it is.
well....i can definitely say it is the alternator....the new battery i got.went completely dry...and the car shut down...WHILE I WAS DRIVING....i was lucky enough to put put it off the freeway...and push it into a parking lot....brought the battery home to recharge....should be enough to get my car back home....and get the damn alternator out.....
WHEN I'M GOD, EVERYONE DIES
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I've never had a fuel injected car run without the battery connected in my life, the ECM needs the battery to operate (the alternator usually won't work right without the battery, thats why bad batteries can fry alternators), wich means no fuel (or spark for that matter) without the battery. Maybee some cars are wired differently, but my J-body won't run with the battery disconnected
we do it every day, mostly Honda's with no battery, but domestic cars too. we only drive them 10 feet forward and 10 feet back. so i don't know how long the car will actually run with no battery.
http://registry.gmenthusiast.com/images/my2005cav/my%20car%20the%20bash.jpg
No problems with mine. I just ran the ground cable down through the trunk to the frame rail underneath. I then left the ground cable at the engine connected to the battery tray.
hmm....interesting....if i have any other problems....i'll change the way i have the battery grounded......
has anyone used 4 ga wire from the alternator to the starter.....i'm looking at the stock wire...and the only that seems "special" about it....is that it has a fusible link.....figured just find a fusible link for the 4 ga wire....and i'm good to go...any thoughts???.....
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