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hi my car worked fine for many years. new battery 1 year ago. i drove in rain turned car off with windscreen wipers and aircon on. have done it be4 with aircon on an no problem. But both never before. i left it from 10pm till 7am and car wouldnt start. i tried to jump start and it made one click at first. never started tried jump again no click. Should i change battery. I dont know problem???

Naomi, You shouldn't have to

Submitted by drivability on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 14:01.

Naomi,

You shouldn't have to worry about leaving the AC and wipers on if the vehicles wiring is factory. You could be dealing with a starter or battery problem but have you checked the wiring connections? Make sure that they are clean and tight. Also, have you tried hitting the starter while turning the key?

Post back with more info. Please include the year, make, model, engine size, etc. Thanks.

Its a mitsubishi magna V6. I

Submitted by naomi on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 15:33.

Its a mitsubishi magna V6. I think its 1999 not sure ill have to get back on the year

.

Submitted by naomi on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 15:35.

Naomi, In addition to what

Submitted by Big Block 409 on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 14:28.

Naomi,

In addition to what drivability posted we also need to know if your car starts with a jump? If it does:

(Start with a jump) do you know what that means in terms of battery integrity?

Is a skilled friend or relative helping you with this problem, or what is the level of your skill?

New battery just a year ago (as you stated), well has an alternator problem been ruled out, (and or) a Parasitic Battery Drain been ruled out?

Are you lost dazed and confused with the above questions ?????

Sayin yes is not a problem. It's why guy's like me and drivability are here in the first place :-)

it doesnt start with a jump,

Submitted by naomi on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 15:30.

it doesnt start with a jump, if it did i would have bought a new battery or recharged the battery straight away.

No one skilled is helping although i have a friend who knows how to jump it is coming around. He asked me a few questions as well.

Im worried because my flatmate tried to jumpstart it for me without me there. he said it wouldnt start but then told me it was the first time hed ever jump started car. i went down and tried with him to show him how. My positive and negative arent marked red ot black and i cant see signs either. What happened if he connected back to front.

I also noticed no spark when connecting the leads.
I dont know what to do to rule out the alternator and to be honest how could i find out if something else is draining the battery. I turned off stereo, lights, wipers before trying to charge the battery.
What could i check??

I guess i am abit lost and dazed. I just want to look at it and do easy things to find out whats wrong before i consider getting it towed. Truth is i dont have alot of money.

Honestly i was wondering if

Submitted by naomi on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 16:06.

Honestly i was wondering if it is worth me buying a new battery if the car wont jumpstart, or would i be better off getting a mobile car battery service to come test the battery for 80 dollars. i only have one hundred dollars till thursday and i have to work on monday.

I feel alittle stuck ive researched and found it could be battery, starter, alternator, wiring.

i was looking for easy things to check to work out if its not the things written above, could anyone help me.

Naomi, Do all the electronic

Submitted by drivability on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 18:51.

Naomi,

Do all the electronic components work properly? That in and of itself is not a good battery load test but it's a start. What I'm getting at is that if everything seems to operate fine and you can't even get the starter to click, your problem likely is somewhere else.

Can you borrow a meter (DVOM) from a friend?

Have you:

Checked the connections?

Tried tapping on the starter?

Checked the fuses?

This is an online forum. We don't have your car in front of us. Actually it sounds like your vehicle likely isn't even in the states with us and that's a big pond to swim across :-) We need you to answer the questions that have been asked so we can try and help you better. As it stands right now we don't know what you have ruled in or out.

You asked what could happen if the jumper cables were hooked up wrong. The answer is anything from a blown fuse to a vehicle fire. :-(

Post back with more info or questions. Thanks.

Naomi, There’s alot that we

Submitted by Big Block 409 on Sun, 01/29/2012 - 06:31.

Naomi,

There’s alot that we can post, but we gotta do it in stages so that we don’t confuse you. For now work with this and post the results, and we’ll post more.

Use a voltmeter to check the battery. So that you get a precise reading set the meter to the 50 volt scale. The meter leads must be connected to the battery posts, and not the battery cables, This is done so you get an accurate voltage reading. The red lead of the meter should be connected to the positive (+) battery terminal, and the black meter lead should be connected to the negative (–) battery terminal. Hold the meter leads on the battery terminals for at least 15 seconds, and note the reading on the meter. The reading should be at least 9.6 volts. If it's less than 9.6 the battery needs to be replaced. You can also determine whether your car battery is dead by observing a few things in the car. Check whether the lights in the car, including warning lights, illuminate properly. Check whether your car audio system is working after you turn your ignition switch to the on position or accessory position. If the radio is working, but the car doesn't start, it is a sign of a low battery.