| Message |
You can't start it (battery low or dead, your battery terminals have a poor connection, or your starter has failed) so it's not charging and the light stays on, if you jump start it and it stays on, then you probably have an alternator issue. The (engine running) voltage at the battery terminals needs to be between 13.8 to 14.5 volts. I would make sure you charge the battery before driving, otherwise you run the risk of overheating the alternator and burning up an expensive unit. If you don't have a battery charger, the cheap 1 or 2 amp trickle chargers for $20 at the auto parts stores are actually much easier on your battery than the high dollar-high amp units, they just take a lot longer (look for one that has an LED light up when fully charged). I would jump start it, and drive it to the parts store and have them do a free test on the battery (don't always buy a battery though, handheld battery testers tend to fail tests on a LOT of decent batteries that would last another full year or longer (this does not apply to any test that says it has a bad cell, immediately replace the battery), ask how many cold cranking amps it's testing at and how many the battery is supposed to have, if it has at least 75% of the cold cranking amps it is rated at, I really wouldn't worry unless you just want to spend the money on a new battery. Obviously your battery is dead for some reason, which needs to be explained, leaving any lights on (doors open, glovebox, etc) can quickly run down a battery that is a little on the weak side within 20 minutes, but this does not mean it is bad, it is just weak) Good luck.
|
 |
08:44:38 06/15/14
