Car problem. Please help!

[Dreamer]

Okay, this should be too complex.
My car ran fine yesterday. It's 2 years old. It's a 2003 Grand Am. I shouldn't be having problems.
Well, I went golfing at around 4:30. Got back to my car at about 9:00.
that's only 4:30 hours. But when I went to start it up, I got nothing. No click, nothing. I noticed that I may have accidentally turned my auto headlights to "on" That's probably why my battery died. 4:30 hours doesn't seem like enough time... But... Anyway, I turned them back to auto.
Got a jump and the car started just fine.
Went to drive away, radio on. Turned on the air conditioner. Car stalled again. Got another jump (never even made it out of the parking lot) and rode for about 45 minutes with the radio off and the air conditioner off. The only odd this was that it was making a high pitched "wheeeee" that went up or down with my acceleration.
Got to the bowling alley, shut of the car and instantly tried to start it up again. Nothing. Dead. Got another jump when I went home. Started right up. Drive about 20 minutes to get home. Turn off the car, try to start it up. Nothing. Dead. I mean DEAD. All these times, it wouldn't even click. I got nothing.

So here's what I know it can't be. Not an alternator problem. Because the car would have died on the road. Not a starter problem. Car's starting up after all...
It must be a battery problem. This might explain the high pitched "wheee." Because that's probably the sound of my alternator providing all the power.
Just let me know what you think. Need a brand new battery, huh?
Because I can't affor for it to be anything else.

[Rygg]

More than likely a bad cell or more on the battery. Yank it out. Go to Checker or autozone or Napa and have them test it. Then when they find it is a bad battery get a new one. Or get your car jumped. Go to any of the above mentioned auto stores and have them test the battery. THose three test batteries and alternators for free. If you have a different auto parts store in town they will probably do the test for free as well.

[Bigity]

Get your alternator tested too, while you are at it.

IIRC, all the alternator does is recharge the battery while your car is running, so a bad alternator wouldn't cause your car to quit.

The whining noise could be your fuel filter or fuel pump. If you haven't had the fuel filter change, change it. If you still get the noise, have the fuel pump checked.

[Dreamer]

Okay, perfect. I'll take the battery in to one of thoe places. Actually, beter yet. I'll get a jump and drive there. Might as well have the alternator checked while I'm at it.

[Koreth]

the high pitched *wheeeee* that goes up and down with accell could be a failing alternator, especially because it goes up and down with accell, as opposed to a feul pump or filter. A fuel pump is going to run at a relatively constant speed, the alternator is driven by the crankshaft via belt and its speed will go up and down in direct proportion to engine speed. Also, fuel pumps tend to be located towards the rear of the vehicle, either in or near the tank, and the alternator being larger and closer, would be much more likely to be audible if something was wrong.

As I understand the alternator can power the vehicle in absence of power from the battery. If the battery is all but dead, but the alternator still has life in it yet, then the car should run once its started until it turns off.

Since the alternator and battery work so close together in the car, it would be a very good idea to have it tested at the same time the battery is. Most parts shops will do it for free.

[Bigity]

Good points about the noise changing pitch and stuff. Didn't notice it when I read the post.

I used to have a car that I'd have to disconnect the battery completely, then reconnect before it would start. Something with the computer was screwed. I'd have to do it every few months.

[Deacon]

What the hell is this nonsense about the alternator's only job being to charge the battery, as though the battery's job is to run the car? The battery's only job is to give that initial spark to the engine and get everything turning so that it can run on its own and the alternator can take over. That and power any accessories/lights until such time as the alternator takes over. The alternator supplies power while the engine is running. One thing that does happen in most designs is that it's also helping to charge the battery while it's providing electricity to everything else as well. During the drive, your battery does nothing.

[Bigity]

Like I said, IIRC Which obviously I didn't.

[Dreamer]

That's the reason I don't think it's an alternator problem.
If the alternator were the problem, once the initial charge from the battery wore off (from jumping it and letting it run 5 minutes) the car would have died. but I rode for 45 minutes, at least.
So it must be the battery. Bad cell. Shorted out, whatever. Because I can get that initial spark from a jump. And then the alternator takes over the power the car.

[Zaph]

The battery is dead dead, which means that no matter how long you drive that alt will never charge it again. You need a new battery. Period the end.

-Zaph

[Smaointe]

I know absolutely nothing about cars, so I hope I don't sound dumb here.

I had a dead battery once, put a new one in, and shortly afterwards (days?) THAT one was dead too. The problem was loose battery terminals... could be worth checking as well?

[Teranfirbt]

Yes, loose battery terminals will KILL batteries AND alternators. My dad's Talon went through 3 alternators before he found out the negative battery wire was loose where it connected to the chassis.. DO NOT run a dead/dying battery for much longer, it WILL kill the alternator, if it hasn't already. The whining sound may be the alternator being overloaded...

[Smaointe]

DID I DO GOOD?

[Deacon]

Yes! Yes! Now marry me.

[HTRN]

I would have the battery AND the alternator checked...

Why? Because when an alternator starts to go, it can take the battery with it.

It happened to me in my previous Suburban.


HTRN