Not a big issue to get overly concerned about but I am a little curious as to why this happened and I need to fill in my curiousity.

Last night, we had a big thunderstorm with some hail here in PHOENIX, ARIZONA. Very surprising, I know.

It caused flooded streets and the whole nine-yards.

I was driving home from work right when the storm ended so I was playing in the huge street puddles on the way home. Nothing out of the ordinary for an off-roader like myself.

This morning, I went to start my truck, didn't happen. Dead battery.

I have a RED OPTIMA battery.

What I am wondering is, what could have caused the battery (an optima battery) to die after playing with water which I've down thousands of times before?

Just curious.

Also, for my next battery, should I get a YELLOW instead of RED? I only got the RED because it was given to me for cheap.

Need I mention, the battery is (or was at this point) seven months old.

 

Greetings Water on the top of the battery can cause it to discharge, if the water is in enough quantity that it bridges the 2 posts. Did the Truck try to start or was it just click click?

 

I doubt that splashing through some water was the cause of the battery failing. That just doesn't add up. However there might be a couple of explanations. 1. The battery is defective/has problems. 2. Your alternator is on it's last legs and splashing through the water killed it, so it's not the battery's fault at all, that is just the most visible symptom. 3. Something else.

Keep in mind, if you go with the Yellow Top, it really wants to see semi-regular, deep discharges. That is the nature of a deep cylcle battery. Unless you have a winch, lots of lights or some other item that will be cycling the battery, it's not a good bet. Yellow Tops don't really like being used as primarily a starting battery, where they are discharged just a bit, then recharged, over and over again.

The Red Top on the other hand, really likes shallow discharges and recharges, but doesn't like deep cycling one bit. The two batteries are for different purposes and are not interchangable as such.

Good luck!

 

KING-

Have you narrowed this down with a multi-meter? Are you sure the battery is not giving any juice? Do the lights come on? Does the ignition click? Tell us more...what exactly does "dead" mean?

 

Another though came to me as I was driving in this morning. Perhaps during your puddle jumping, you just jarred a battery clamp loose. You might try looking at the connections and make sure they are all tight before you really tear into the diagnosis.

Just a thought.

 

It just gives me a click. I can, however, hear the slight spin of the alternator.

No, I didn't use a multi-meter. In fact, I have never even seen one. I am of course assuming this is some type of device.

The radio turns after the key has been on "ACC" for about ten seconds. I tried turning on my headlights while the radio was on and it did but the radio then turned off. Also, this one instance when I had the key on "ACC," the dummy lights went off for a slight second, along with the radio, then came back on. My alarm also works.

I did check the battery terminals and they are tight.

So can it be my alternator? I don't know nothing about alternators.

 

If all you are getting is a click, its not your alternator. That is either your battery or your starter solenoid.

 

I agree entirely. It's just a question of why a relatively new battery is discharged It *could* still be the alternator is the ultimate cause and the dead battery is just a symptom, but your description sounds like the battery is dead for whatever reason.

 

Well, I had my uncle come to school and jump start me. I went to AUTO ZONE and I picked up a RED OPTIMA batter for $130 + tax!! I put the new battery in and it started just fine.

Now, this is a new battery so now the question is, will the alternator keep it charged. If not, then I need a new alternator. That is my way of find out if the alternator is good or bad.

I'll have to wait and find out maybe by tomorrow or something. Just until the charge on the new battery discharges.

This just came to me: could you remove the battery while the engine is running to test the alternator? If the alternator is good, then shouldn't it keep the engine running??

 

I have always heard that is not a good idea, but I can't back it up with fact or experience. The only thing I can think of is that the regulator is used to having that storage in place and it might mess with it in some way, but that is conjecture on my part.

The only reliable way that I am aware of to test an alternator is to take it out and bench it.

 

Either that or waiting until I drive more to see if the altenator can keep the battery charged. That means there is a possible risk of getting stranded somewhere.

Tomorrow I will be doing some heavy driving around town and I hope it's not the alternator. I need my truck to work!

I've never changed an alternator so I don't know how that will go if it happens that I need to.

I will keep my fingers crossed.

Thanks for your help ROB, CHRISTIAN and METALHEAD.

 

No problem on the help, that's what we are here for.

Swapping out the alternator is pretty easy. The space is cramped and it helps if you have small hands, but you can EASILY do it if you can do an oil change. You have to remove two bolts and one wiring plug, then put the new one in, bolt it up and plug it in. Final adjustment consists of setting the tension on the belt so it has about 1/4" or so deflection. It's not a big deal at all.

You will do fine if it comes to that.

 

That is exactly what I did to my corolla a few years ago. Start the car and disconnect the battery, if the car dies then it's the alternator. This is nothing wrong in doing this test. I ended up buying a remanufactured alternator from toyota for 15o bux.
George

 

Keep in mind that I have a '94 although I'm quite sure an alternator replacement is an alternator replacement regardless of the year, make, and model.

Same concepts ought to apply, in other words.

Is it worth the extra effort to go with a larger amp altenator or is a regular amp fine with someone like myself who is running no extra lightining and/or winch plus any other features that you can think of which might be extra?

That's a long question that doesn't make much sense.

 

Thanks for your input.

This ought to clarify any uncertainty.

 

Alternator replacement with very few exceptions is pretty much the same operation from rig to rig. I've done them on Fords, Jeeps, Toyotas, Hondas, ad nauseum. Some are just a bit easier than others. I am confident that if it comes to it, you will do it with style.

I can't seen an advantage to the cost of upgrading to a larger alternator unless you need or anticipate the need for more juice. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Of course, consider the source, the guy who insists upon upgrading everything

 

I guess the toughest and hardest part is to winch out some cash for a new alternator which is not easy for your normal college student. Now, how many have you heard that before?!

I figured a normal alternator would be fine for my set up. I also plan to keep this set up pretty much all through out.

I feel it's not worth dumping a lot of money to my current rig. To me, it's more of play rig rather than a hardcore crawling machine. Kind of like yours, ROB.

Well, let's just hope it's not the alternator.

 

Perhaps you will get lucky and it was just a defective battery and you are out of the woods

Thanks for the compliment. It's been fun building it out, but it's still got a lot of mods ahead of it

 

Well I drove over 200 hard miles today just in the city back and forth and plus some heavy towing and everything looks fine. Show's no signs of bad alternator.

So more than likely, it was a defective battery which is why I got it for cheap to begin with.

Now for your mods, well I can smell a crawler coming soon for some reason.

 

Very cool! Congrats! I am glad it was just a sub-par battery That sure made things easy

Yes, a crawler is definately in the works, but I need to settle on the final ratio and figure out which stick configuration I want before I get started While I am deciding, I may get started on the exo-cage or flatbed We'll see Maybe I will just wheel it for a while like this and see what drives me up the wall