Likely the battery yes?

Topics related to Lights, Radio, Stereo, Headunits, Alternators...

Moderator: volvite

User avatar
palmerwmd
Site Admin
Posts: 2343
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 4:45 am
Location: Mid Atlantic

Likely the battery yes?

Postby palmerwmd » Sat Oct 12, 2019 9:51 am

I had a trip for work was gone 15 days.

I was surprised when I had to jump the car coming back (click, click, click no start).

Battery less than 18 months old. This is the battery:

https://www.autozone.com/batteries-star ... 2062_25698

Right after the jump the car went on a 300+ mile trip so i thought it would be fine especially since AGM cell batteries are supposed to not have big issues with longevity after being fully drained.

But in the past week I noticed when the car had sat over a weekend the instead of click-grr-vroom it went click-grr-grr-grr-vroom.

Clearly struggling a bit for anyone who pays attention.

My alternator is ok I think, since no warning lamp for weak alternator and i see it charging with the voltmeter.

This morning some hesitant starting again ...except this time it had only been sitting about 16hrs.

Its not even cold yet.

So I drove around with the intent to buy another battery (there are no autozones in the country I live in so no warranty)

But everything was already closed.
Does the hive agree its likely the battery?


User avatar
smj999smj
Site Admin
Posts: 6054
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:13 pm
Location: Prospect, VA

Postby smj999smj » Sat Oct 12, 2019 10:04 pm

It's very possible...but, a parasitic draw would give you the same symptoms. The only way to be sure is to have the battery tested. If it tests "good," then you'll need to check the charging system and for parasitic draw. Also, instead of the Group 35, I always use a Group 24F. It'll drop right in as it's the battery used for the V8 Pathy.

User avatar
palmerwmd
Site Admin
Posts: 2343
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 4:45 am
Location: Mid Atlantic

Postby palmerwmd » Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:00 am

Thanks!

I was always wondering about the 24F. I put the 24F into another nissan that also requires a 35 but I was always wondering if it doesnt make things harder for the alternator. Based on your input my next battery will be a 24F

Compared to previous driving with the voltmeter in the dash I can see the alternator trying to charge this battery near 100% of the time I am driving and i am worried i am running my (much more expensive) alternator ragged.

User avatar
underworld1001
Posts: 328
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2016 9:05 pm
Location: Austin, TX

Postby underworld1001 » Sun Oct 13, 2019 9:07 am

I'm running a 24F as well. Hadn't really paid attention to the voltmeter other than occasionally looking at it, but things looked normal when I have looked at the gauge. Running original stock alternator as well at 125xxx miles. I'll be driving today so I'll check it out.

User avatar
smj999smj
Site Admin
Posts: 6054
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:13 pm
Location: Prospect, VA

Postby smj999smj » Sun Oct 13, 2019 9:29 pm

palmerwmd wrote:Thanks!

I was always wondering about the 24F. I put the 24F into another nissan that also requires a 35 but I was always wondering if it doesnt make things harder for the alternator. Based on your input my next battery will be a 24F

Compared to previous driving with the voltmeter in the dash I can see the alternator trying to charge this battery near 100% of the time I am driving and i am worried i am running my (much more expensive) alternator ragged.
It's not any harder for an alternator to charge a Group 24F than a Group 35 battery. In fact, the 4.0L Pathfinder, which calls for the Group 35, uses the exact same alternator as the 5.6L Pathfinder which has the 24F. The differences will be in weight (the group 24F is a little bigger, thus heavier), reserve capacity and amps.

User avatar
palmerwmd
Site Admin
Posts: 2343
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 4:45 am
Location: Mid Atlantic

Postby palmerwmd » Mon Oct 14, 2019 9:03 am

24F it is! :D

User avatar
palmerwmd
Site Admin
Posts: 2343
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 4:45 am
Location: Mid Atlantic

Postby palmerwmd » Tue Oct 15, 2019 12:17 pm

So I finally made my way to a Nissan dealer.

Results: Alternator good
Parasitic Drag: None
Battery: needs charge.. the service manager did not want to commit to a for sure "the battery is bad".. but when pressed he would replace the battery.

I want a 24F instead of 35 this time (especially since I cant seem to be able to get a AGM type here)... except thats a SAE norm and no one here knows what size that would be...
So tomorrow i am going to the automotive shop on base to organize a 24F.

User avatar
palmerwmd
Site Admin
Posts: 2343
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 4:45 am
Location: Mid Atlantic

Postby palmerwmd » Thu Oct 17, 2019 8:11 am

Update;

..it does start very nicely now... faster than ever before while i owned it.
I now suspect the battery was weak/bad from the day I bought it.. but until now I had only operated it in warm temps so I never had a chance to notice.

User avatar
V8Pathy
Posts: 196
Joined: Sat Jul 28, 2007 9:20 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Postby V8Pathy » Sun Dec 01, 2019 9:27 pm

I have been experiencing the same now that it gets cold in the mornings.
turn key, click then it starts. At most 2 clicks then it starts. I changed the battery but still the same. I always ran 24F since I have the V8. Not sure what's next. starter relay or starter going bad ?
I cleaned up battery terminals too.

User avatar
ShipFixer
Posts: 769
Joined: Sun May 24, 2009 9:52 am
Location: San Diego, CA

Postby ShipFixer » Mon Dec 02, 2019 5:11 am

Check all of the above, plus sometimes your terminal cable lugs get weak and don't hold the battery terminals tight enough, preventing enough current to start the truck.

User avatar
eieio
Sponsored Member
Posts: 1841
Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 6:42 am
Location: Prescott, Az.

Postby eieio » Mon Dec 02, 2019 5:56 am

ShipFixer wrote:Check all of the above, plus sometimes your terminal cable lugs get weak and don't hold the battery terminals tight enough, preventing enough current to start the truck.
This is a very commonly overlooked problem with the negative cable clamp on the battery post.

User avatar
V8Pathy
Posts: 196
Joined: Sat Jul 28, 2007 9:20 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Postby V8Pathy » Mon Dec 02, 2019 11:51 am

it only does it when it's cold so it's kinda odd. I would think if it was the starter, it would fail all the time.

User avatar
disallow
Site Admin
Posts: 2820
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:02 am
Location: Winnipeg, Canada

Postby disallow » Mon Dec 02, 2019 1:49 pm

I use these:

https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/ ... -p8064453e

Eventually I had to change the positive clamp, but the negative is still going thanks to these babies.


Return to “R51 Electrical”