Can a Battery just die?

[aamiggia]

Hey guys,

This isn't a Cruiser question exactly, but I need some advice and the car is a diesel.

I just picked up a 1995 VW Passat Turbo Diesel and it drove fine until this morning. The battery was completely dead . I tryed to charge it overnight, but still nothing. I didn't check the voltage because I was in a hurry to get to work this morning.

I tryed a different battery in the car and it started right up. I don't think it's the altenator because the car drove fine with the other battery, but I only went for a 5 km test drive. I'm worried that there is more to it then the battery because it happened over night and I didn't leave any thing on. What's the best way t check the altenator?

I guess my question is can a battery just die and not hold a charge? I thought batteries had a slow and painfull death, just getting harder and harder to start the car.

Thanks,
Alex

 

[crushers]

you might have a bad cell, if that is the case then the battery is toast...
let us know how you like your new diesel... congrates

 

[sandcruiser]

they can just die- especially if they are cracked. Usually they peter out, but if the seller was less than honest he may have pulled the battery off of a charger just moments before ... or, was the car running when you got there? could've been that he jumped it then left it running?
Take the battery to a Autozone/PEP/Schucks and have them test it.

 

[aamiggia]

Thanks Wayne,

If a cell is gone what will the voltage be?

I just bought the VW, I'm making my slow transition to diesel. It's too bad that the thing wouldn't start this morning. I've only had it for 2 days! The battery was fine 2 days ago, now it's completely dead.

The temp solution to my commuting needs has been solved with the VW. I'm in the process of selling my LX450, at least that's what my wife thinks If I can get basically what I paid for it, 8 months ago, I will let it go and set my sights on a BJ74 or spring for a HDJ-80. I love the fact that I can make my own fuel and run striaght vegetable oil.

Diesel's rock!

 

[crushers]

the voltage will vary but it will slowly drain down, if the cell is real bad it can quit overnight...
check the charging to see wha tthe alternator is putting out... you don't want any new surprises...
cheers

 

[Stone]

The battery terminals can also be bad, in which case you will instantly get zero volts or intermittent voltage with vibration.

Or maybe the battery cables were loosely fastened or there is heavy buildup on the terminals causing the battery to be poorly charged as you drive it. Last night might have just been the end of your battery's reserve.

Is there enough fluid inside the battery, or is it one of those "maintenance free" types that you can't open? How old is the battery? The short answer is..."yes" a battery can sometimes just die.

If you want to test out your whole electrical starting system, you can go to a shop and have them perform an AVR test. This tests how much voltage your battery puts out under load, how much amperage your alternator puts out, and how much drain your starter takes out of the system when cranking. When I had this done to my Pathfinder some years ago, it only cost me $45 CAD...so it's a quick and inexpensive test. Good luck.

 

[Kalawang]

It's happened to me a couple of times, always with the zero maintenance type.


Kalawang

 

[aamiggia]

Changed out the battery with a Red top Optima (800 CCA) from Wally World (Walmart). The size was about the same, but the terminals needed a bit of persuasion to fit. I barely had to touch the starter to get it to turn over. The glow plug light went out a lot quicker too.

With the car running I get 14.4 Volts across the battery terminals. With the car off I get about 12.5 volts with the new battery. This seems normal to me, what do you think?

 

[HZJ60 Guy]

No, of course not!




TB

 

[aamiggia]

I think there's some post padding going on.