Ok. Let me first start out by saying Im not a car specialist.

2000 Honda Civic EX coupe AUTO..


Heres what happened. Yesterday, Im driving to work on the highway. ThenI noticed my battery light came on. Then when im on the exit ramp, I stopped at the light.. After about 30 seconds at the light mycar just SHUT OFF. In the worst place ever..so im there trying to start it up and nothing..then i open the hood(on the main road) and I look at the negative side(ground?) of my battery and there is some white residue there. I had to have my car pushed to the parking lot..where it still is now. Should I go and buy a new battery or is that just a waste of $$?? Some say it may be my alternator, but I never had this problem before. Even the night before I had it jumped and it was driving fine. I need to get it out the lot but I cant afford to have it towed right about now..

What should I do?

 

Prior to the car stalling, did you notice whether the headlights dimmed when the car was idling and brightened when the engine was revved? If so, the alternator may be going bad or the alternator belt is slipping because it is loose or glazed.

Nonetheless, the battery connections seem to be corroded so start by removing both battery connectors and cleaning them as well as the battery electrodes with some steel wool or fine sandpaper. Avoid getting any the corrosive battery material on your skin or clothing. You want to remove all corrosion so that the connectors and electrodes can make good metal-to-metal contact. Make sure the cleaned connectors are tightened securely to the cleaned electrodes.

Now try to jump start the car. If the battery still has some life left and the alternator still retains some charging capacity, the car should start. This is best done during the day so you don't have to turn your lights or any other electrical accessories on. If possible, drive the car to a local AutoZone, where they will test both your battery and alternator free of charge. Depending on what they find, you may need either to replace the battery or alternator or tighten/replace the alternator belt (check if it is loose).

 

ya first off you want to just pull the battery outta the car and charge it up... and before puting the battery back in CLEAN the battery terminal wires....
but if your battery light came ON while driving.... then most likely your alternator is dead.... and your car was only running from the power in the battery keeping it going..... if ya charge up the battery fully charged you should be able to go ruffly 10miles or so. just remember to keep EVERYTHING OFF.... no lights, no radio, and no heat or ac or the fan.... keep everything OFF and it should get you close to home.... or atleast get it to a autozone to have them recharge the battery and then go again to get it home. LMFAO

 

addict that was a low blow lmao. But I'll definetly try that..hopefully it helps..and If i wanted to get a new alternator would it really run my pockets? I hurd it would be about 200...smh this sucks

 

By the way, you can charge your battery at AutoZone free of charge.

I purchased a refurbished alternator with a lifetime warranty from AutoZone for $110. That's the total cost if you install it yourself. Otherwise you'll need to add the cost of labor, which might add another $200 or so.

 

The thing is..there is no nearby autozone centers. Will Sears auto center charge it for free as well?

 

Just buy a DC Volt test meter. theyre like 20 bucks. Check to see if the battery terminals are tight.....jump start the car. Touch the volt testers red wire to the + side of the battery and the black wire to the - side. If your meter reads over 12 volts, then the alternator IS charging the battery. You should be seeing 14.7 volts or so...give or take a few. If not, then the battery is NOT re-charging. You must test the battery while the car is ON. If the alternator is good, you dont need to recharge the battery, just let the car run and it will charge itself. However, if the battery is DEAD DEAD, it may not be re-chargeable, so youll need to get a new battery, and THEN try the volt test.

 

I doubt it but why dont you buy a battery charger? You gotta have to foot the bill if you dont know what you are doing. Its still alot cheaper than buying a new car. Some ins company offer free towing so check with them. I have triple A and it will tow my car for free up to 100 miles so consider that.

 

Maybe your alternator belt snapped. That would be about a $30 fix.

Whenever the battery light comes on with the engine running, that is almost certain proof that the alternator is not working.

You may need a new battery anyway. Car batteries are not designed to run all the way down like laptop or cell phone batteries can. Running a car battery down all the way is very hard on it and if it is a few years old that may have been the last straw.

 

Thanks alot for your help guys. My alternator belt came off so im guessing thats why it wouldnt start. That and the power steering belt (?.?) ... The guys at my local shop will fix both for 70 bux so Im guessing that isnt too bad.