Not enough battery to turn over starter; etc.

[bobstad]

Battery charger green light on after thirty hours!

Sometimes a bad alternator can ruin a battery

Well, when I got the Festiva back to my apartment around five yesterday afternoon, I took the battery out and put that back on the 1.5 amp trickle charger.

About eight hours later, after hours at the computer, I was ready for bed and noticed the green light meaning the battery is charged had come on.

Twenty-two hours of charging before going to pick up the car hadn't turned the green light on, and the yellow light meaning the battery was still charging was still glowing.

The snow and ice from some weather last night is still all over the car at around ten thirty now this morning, and the thermometer by the door outside my apartment is right at freezing.

Nice to think of hanging out inside, though I'll probably get motivated to drive to the shop I got the battery at and see if they'll give me some free advice and maybe use their diagnostic tools to see what's going on.

Thanks for the help Festivites, I'll keep people posted as to how this comes out in the end.

[ztittle]

I definitely think a Volt meter would be helpful here to check the alt. I do believe it is no lower than 14.3V running with everything on across the battery?

Also, always remember to check fuseable links and dash fuses. When my MAIN fuse-link was corroded I'd get sluggish starts and battery lights at lower idle or all the time; also clicking or nothing at all if it was too weakened by the the corrosion at start up. Headlights and many other things aren't on the same link so they will look/act perfectly fine.

[bobstad]

details, details; automotive karma's greatest friend.

I definitely think a Volt meter would be helpful here to check the alt. I do believe it is no lower than 14.3V running with everything on across the battery?

Also, always remember to check fuseable links and dash fuses. When my MAIN fuse-link was corroded I'd get sluggish starts and battery lights at lower idle or all the time; also clicking or nothing at all if it was too weakened by the the corrosion at start up. Headlights and many other things aren't on the same link so they will look/act perfectly fine.

Thanks ztittle, those are great things to think of; so I need to get busy during the day when warmer out, than mornings. Today was all at the computer.

I've even spaced out going to our neighborhood 7-11 for dvd movies in the Redbox in front of the place; I'd been thinking might be my plan for the evening along with something to drink. So, not a bad day; all in all.

Time to find the Haynes and Ford manuals for the Festiva; before I go to sleep.

[bobstad]

Got the charging tested today; and then some!

The weather was nice this afternoon; so I drove the short distance to where I bought a 75 month battery December of 2010, and they checked the charging system for me.

With the motor idling and no accessories on, the charging rate was a little shy of 14.8 amps. With the headlights, turn-signal and heater fan on high; this dropped to around 12 amps, which is far too low. Then, the man doing the testing also noticed the water pump leaks, which was a steady drip, hardly encouraging; I'd not known about, though had been adding to the radiator frequently enough this came as no surprise.

I also saw that the radiator cooling fan no longer functions; I'd made to run all the time, since the thermostat doesn't work and I'm chicken to replace that from stories here I've read about how easy to damage the housing. Thus, with oil leaks on the cam and crank seals; there are plenty of things needing attention, with varying degrees of time before I'm totally screwed. Not to mention I still have to do the front half of the Aspire brake swap.

The man doing the testing at the radiator/battery shop; said he'd change the water pump for about $225 if I provided him with a timing belt, he said would be necessary to replace then too. Unfortunately he'd be unable to then also change the cam and crank seals, the shop doesn't have the expertise for. I like and tend to trust them; though sort of stupid to get the timing belt changed without also replacing the cam and crank seals too.

I guess the time is also come to get a new alternator; though I should probably give a little more thought to following through on some of the suggestions in this thread, about things which could also create the symptoms shown by the test this afternoon? I procrastinate, from a natural aversion to having dirt and grease all over me, when without really decent work conditions; let alone competence probably adequate, though always just barely. I've plenty of other good excuses, though those are the basics.

Thanks everyone, I'm sure I'm going to need lots of the good advice given here. If anyone would like to see a more full analysis of the impact of the Festiva and that car's problems now on me; look at my new thread today in the off-topic forum, which is mostly automotive though a little besides called "My homemade cherry pie; has a few pits, etc." [http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=41654]