So a few weeks ago when it was consistently in the negatives, my car would need to jump to get started. My lights were dim, and my locks seem sluggish. On top of that it took like 10+ min hooked up to another car in order for it to start. That night I cleaned off my battery terminals and the next day, sub zero temperatures gave me no problems; started right up! Fast forward to yesterday. (When it was above 0 deg) my car wouldn't start again. This time my lights seemed bright and the car lock engaged relatively fast. The engine sounded like it wanted to turn, but just didn't. Eventually the starter solenoid started clicking rapidly and i called for a jump. Hooked it up for a few min and started right up. I just started it today with no problems. So the question is... do I need to replace my battery or is something else the matter? What can I do to figure out what is wrong. (current battery is 500 CCA)
How old is the battery? How old is the alternator? The dim lights to me would indicate alternator. With a dead battery your lights would be powered by the alternator for the most part. I'd get both the battery and the alternator tested and go from there.
+1 You really cant determine anything for sure until you do some testing. Pull the batter AND alternator and take it in to an Advance, Auto Zone, O'rielly or whatever is closest and knows what they are doing and have them check them both. Make sure though the battery is not frozen. If it is bring it inside and thaw it out before testing/charging it.
I am always surprised when no one suggests checking the starter, if the starter is old and worn it is quite possible that the starter is drawing more current than normal. I had this on a car a while back and spent a bunch of time looking at other things, why wouldn't the starter be one of the things you would check?
With the symptoms the Op was having, it would be unlikely the starter. If he was only having issues starting, yes you would add it to the list for sure. But the weak electrical system and dining lights generally points to a battery or charging system issue.
The op stated that cleaning the terminals fixed the dim lights. Then the op states that the engine sounded like it wanted to turn but didn't. If the starter is drawing too much current then this makes sense. I would say at this point that the information is not complete, did the car run long after the terminals were cleaned, or was it started and then shut off? I don't see any reason why I wouldn't consider the starter?
Cleaned the terminals. Drove it 10 miles back and forth to work for a week and a half with no problems. Died again.
Seriously. Actually, I know AutoZone has a sweet handheld tester they can check both in the vehicle (well....it won't automatically check the alternator if the battery doesn't pass, but it's got a volt meter with ripple built into it). It's not 100% accurate, but it'll give you a damn good idea of what's happening. Don't guess from the symptoms, test the sh1t. If the battery passes, then you likely have a drain. Start pulling fuses overnight to see if your symptoms change. Look at any aftermarket electronics you might have. I had an old remote start in my Celica that was killing my battery overnight this winter, removed it, and the car is as reliable as ever. Also....helps to tell us wtf kind of vehicle it is, and if it has any mods. In this company, it's pretty safe to assume it's a Subaru, probably less than 15 years or so old.....but it just an ASSumption.....
