I got that dreaded call from my 16-year-old son last night... no, not THAT call, the other one... "Dad, the car won't start... just makes a clicking sound". Well, that sure sounds like a dead battery to me, but I've never had a battery just up and die without some "slow-cranking" symptoms before. I head down there and check the battery cables and alternator belt. Fine. I try to start the car and the starter solenoid just clicks. We call Auto Club and we get a jump start. Everything is perfect. Nothing appears to have been left on.

We drive the car 1.5 miles to home, and I get ready to put the trickle charger on it overnight. I try a test start. Whammo. Perfect. A fast start, just like usual. I don't charge the battery, but try it again this morning. Whammo. Perfect.

Can a battery die (like an internal short or something) and then "heal" itself with a jump start? I know this sound goofy... but hey, I can't figure this out, and I don't want any more phone calls. Help.

 

Steve,

How's it going? Got the springs and bar in but the car is still in the air. Doesn't matter though, we just got snow again!

It's been my experience that a battery does NOT heal its self. If there is a problem it will usually show up again and usually at the worst time. I guess you have to ask the usual questions like, how old is the battery, is there some type of excessive current drain when the car is off, are the connections good, and is the alternator charging correctly? When this type of thing has happened to me is was because the battery was going and there was not much reserve capacity. If the motor fired right up all was well but if you had to crank the motor over any length of time the weak battery would show up. I think a couple of the auto part places can test the battery for you if you want to go that route.

Good luck,

Shawn

 

My cobra did the same thing last spring. Went to pep boys thinking I was buying a new battery, but after one jump it was fine again. Must be the car.

 

More than likely a dirty connection, probably at the battery posts/cable junction. Sometimes when jumper cables are clamped onto the battery terminals, it jerks the connection a little, just enough to improve it.

Try cleaning the terminals really well.

Hope this helps,,,

 

Batteries have to ability to sense the inopportune.
Just when you think you have everything under control and figured out , they will prove you WRONG.
They sometimes die with absolutely no warning. Sometimes they die then tease you by again arising like Lazarus only to set you up for a REALLY inconvenient failure later.
Act now , before your battery realizes what you are up to...Replace it.

 

Thanks for the tips. I generally replace a battery at the first hint of a problem. I think I'll check for corroded terminals and ensure its got plenty of fluid. If it passes both of those tests, then I'll assume its a flaky battery and I'll replace it.

Thanks again for the good ideas.

 

Had an experience on a old Audi that might give you a hint. Battery was several years old but wasn't showing any problems. Car was stored outdoors. One day it started fine, and I drove it to work. That evening the starter wouldn't crank; was like a dead battery. In-dash voltmeter seemed to confirm a bad battery. Car was parked on a hill so was able to start it via a rolling start. Drove to Sears for a new battery; as I remember they found some cells were shorted. Replacement with a new battery cured the start problems.

Have heard that sealed/maintenance free batteries can die all of a sudden. This one apparently did. If your (Junior's?) battery is more than 3 years old, might just play it safe and replace it.

 

Just an update: although the Cobra battery continued to function well, I found that Costco has a very liberal policy regarding batteries... if purchased with 36 months, you get a new for free, no questions asked. Since mine was less than 24 months old, I picked up the new one, just to be sure. Thanks again to everyone.

 

That makes me happy and sad at the same time. I am a member and a shareholder.

 

Actually... I'm both also. Lets just assume that it *was* a bad battery, and the supplier will replace it no charge to Costco.