2002 WRX hard starting

[NitroTrike]

Hi, i've posted here before, but never for something like this. I have a 2002
WRX, with just under 80k on it. It is cranking extremely slow in the mornings
now, sometimes requiring a jump. It is fine the rest of the day (it gets driven
alot, and gets turned off and on about 20-30 times a day). Once it sits
overnight, same thing. I know it is getting colder (i'm in NJ), but the battery
is not that old. I have checked that there are no lights or anything staying
on, and checked the water level in the battery. Are these batteries just CRAP?
I cant justify using my extended warrantee (with $100 deductible) for a
battery, when I can get an interstate battery for $60. I am SURE they will run
a "charging system diagonostic" on it, just to bump up the price. I was told
NOT to "load test" it by disconnecting the battery while running to check the
alternator. Should I just put a damn battery in it, or risk getting stranded
somewhere?

 

[Clive]

Bad battery? Maybe.
Sounds like it's not holding/getting a charge and
I doubt you'd get billed by a battery specialist
to put a meter on it to check. You can also buy
battery checkers for not a lot of money....ditto
chargers....do it yourself.
It just could be that you're not driving enough
to keep it charged...you need to do at least 30 miles
a week without all the electrical systems draining juice
and preferably in one go particularly in winter.
Starting out with an exhausted battery and then stop-starting
20-30 times a day with lights-heater-demist etc all on?
No wonder you have problems.

--
Clive Norris
Selectron (UK) Ltd
www.espguitars.co.uk
www.espshop.co.uk
www.mightymite.com
www.emgpickups.co.uk
www.tube-shop.com
www.whirlwindusa.com
www.deanmarkley.com

 

[Jim Stewart]

Hi, i've posted here before, but never for something like this. I have a 2002
WRX, with just under 80k on it. It is cranking extremely slow in the mornings
now, sometimes requiring a jump. It is fine the rest of the day (it gets driven
alot, and gets turned off and on about 20-30 times a day). Once it sits
overnight, same thing. I know it is getting colder (i'm in NJ), but the battery
is not that old. I have checked that there are no lights or anything staying
on, and checked the water level in the battery. Are these batteries just CRAP?
I cant justify using my extended warrantee (with $100 deductible) for a
battery, when I can get an interstate battery for $60. I am SURE they will run
a "charging system diagonostic" on it, just to bump up the price. I was told
NOT to "load test" it by disconnecting the battery while running to check the
alternator. Should I just put a damn battery in it, or risk getting stranded
somewhere?

I figure a battery is good for 5 years, minus a
year for every time it was discharged to to the
point where it couldn't start the car. Does that
help any?

 

[KLS]

Hi, i've posted here before, but never for something like this. I have a 2002
WRX, with just under 80k on it. It is cranking extremely slow in the mornings
now, sometimes requiring a jump. It is fine the rest of the day (it gets driven
alot, and gets turned off and on about 20-30 times a day). Once it sits
overnight, same thing. I know it is getting colder (i'm in NJ), but the battery
is not that old. I have checked that there are no lights or anything staying
on, and checked the water level in the battery. Are these batteries just CRAP?
I cant justify using my extended warrantee (with $100 deductible) for a
battery, when I can get an interstate battery for $60. I am SURE they will run
a "charging system diagonostic" on it, just to bump up the price. I was told
NOT to "load test" it by disconnecting the battery while running to check the
alternator. Should I just put a damn battery in it, or risk getting stranded
somewhere?

Buy the damned $60 battery.

 

[KLS]

It just could be that you're not driving enough
to keep it charged...you need to do at least 30 miles
a week without all the electrical systems draining juice
and preferably in one go particularly in winter.

Honey, he's got 80,000 miles on a 2002 car. Read carefully, please.

 

[powertrain]

Hi, i've posted here before, but never for something like this. I
have a 2002 WRX, with just under 80k on it. It is cranking extremely
slow in the mornings now, sometimes requiring a jump. It is fine the
rest of the day (it gets driven alot, and gets turned off and on
about 20-30 times a day). Once it sits overnight, same thing. I know
it is getting colder (i'm in NJ), but the battery is not that old. I
have checked that there are no lights or anything staying on, and
checked the water level in the battery. Are these batteries just
CRAP? I cant justify using my extended warrantee (with $100
deductible) for a battery, when I can get an interstate battery for
$60. I am SURE they will run a "charging system diagonostic" on it,
just to bump up the price. I was told NOT to "load test" it by
disconnecting the battery while running to check the alternator.
Should I just put a damn battery in it, or risk getting stranded
somewhere?

Could be that something is draining the battery overnight but there's no
point in speculating, the first step is: get your battery checked.

 

[Clive]

Read the words sweetie...
30 miles in one journey...not 20-30
stop starts a day.
--

 

[mulder]

Yes the OEM battery is crap. It's only 325CCA and as it ages the
capacity drops. I was not happy with the slow cranking the first winter,
so after less than a year I got rid of it and installed a Red Top
Optima. Huge improvement. If you don't feel like springing for an
Optima, almost any battery from the parts store will be a significant
step up.

 

[remcow]

Hi, i've posted here before, but never for something like this. I have a 2002
WRX, with just under 80k on it. It is cranking extremely slow in the mornings
now, sometimes requiring a jump. It is fine the rest of the day (it gets driven
alot, and gets turned off and on about 20-30 times a day). Once it sits
overnight, same thing. I know it is getting colder (i'm in NJ), but the battery
is not that old. I have checked that there are no lights or anything staying
on, and checked the water level in the battery. Are these batteries just CRAP?
I cant justify using my extended warrantee (with $100 deductible) for a
battery, when I can get an interstate battery for $60. I am SURE they will run
a "charging system diagonostic" on it, just to bump up the price. I was told
NOT to "load test" it by disconnecting the battery while running to check the
alternator. Should I just put a damn battery in it, or risk getting stranded
somewhere?

Hi

It could be the battery --- they usually last longer than that, though.
Perhaps the one you have is a fluke. You could just replace the battery but
could still have the same problems, so maybe try the following first:

Make sure the battery has been charged completely overnight using an AC
charger. Measure the voltage across the battery, start the car and see how
low the voltage goes. While starting, it may hit 10V. Any less and the
battery could be your problem. If the car isn't starting and you do see
more than 10V, it could be that the resistance of the wire from the battery
to the starter is too high. Take that wire off and clean both sides.
A while ago I had a car that had a bad starter motor causing this problem --
I am not suggesting this is your problem, but maybe start looking into the
starter when all other tests are negative.

While the car is running, make sure the charging circuit is working
properly. While your meter is still across the battery, the voltage across
the battery should be somewhere around 14.5 volts while your car is running.

Also check the drain overnight by setting your meter to amps (make sure it
indeed can measure several Amps) and hooking it in series with your battery
to the rest of the car. Don't open the door and don't start the car --
basically measure the current as if you parked it overnight. You should see
something in the order of milliamps if everything is ok.

Hope you find your problem.
Remco

 

[NitroTrike]

Hi

It could be the battery --- they usually last longer than that, though.
Perhaps the one you have is a fluke. You could just replace the battery but
could still have the same problems, so maybe try the following first:

Make sure the battery has been charged completely overnight using an AC
charger. Measure the voltage across the battery, start the car and see how
low the voltage goes. While starting, it may hit 10V. Any less and the
battery could be your problem. If the car isn't starting and you do see
more than 10V, it could be that the resistance of the wire from the battery
to the starter is too high. Take that wire off and clean both sides.
A while ago I had a car that had a bad starter motor causing this problem --
I am not suggesting this is your problem, but maybe start looking into the
starter when all other tests are negative.

While the car is running, make sure the charging circuit is working
properly. While your meter is still across the battery, the voltage across
the battery should be somewhere around 14.5 volts while your car is running.

Also check the drain overnight by setting your meter to amps (make sure it
indeed can measure several Amps) and hooking it in series with your battery
to the rest of the car. Don't open the door and don't start the car --
basically measure the current as if you parked it overnight. You should see
something in the order of milliamps if everything is ok.

Hope you find your problem.
Remco

Gee, seems like I've hit a sore spot on this subject...
As far as driving the 30 miles, I do (that is usually how far my first job is
away). And the car has been driven this way since the day I picked it up. I
just think the battery is crap. As I said, its fine the rest of the day, and
that is starting it ALOT.
Tonight I will disconnect the battery, and see what happens in the morning.
I've had NO other problems with the car, besides the belt tensioner pulley
making noise at about 70k.
BTW, when i meant the "diagnostic" charge, I was referring to the dealer, as
"mom and pop" shops cant fix anything on the car that I cant do myself, and
quite frankly I wouldnt trust them.
I see there was not any responses about the "load" testing comment I made

Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[S. Brooks]

You wouldn't happen to have any additional stereo equipment hooked in to
your car? Amplifier wired to the battery? I have a vehicle that is hard to
start and it has an aftermarket system installed by Circuit City and they
simply drew the power for the amp right from the battery and on colder
mornings it does tend to lag. I even went on vacation and came back to a
dead battery. I now know to disconnect the amp when I know I won't be
driving for a few days.

If you have a NAPA nearby I think they offer the free battery check.

 

[Michael Prosek]

Go to an advanced auto parts store, they will test your battery for free to
see if it's ok.Sure other stores do it too if there is none in your area. My
97 eclipse went threw 3 batteries in 5 years

 

[T]

Hi, i've posted here before, but never for something like this. I have a 2002
WRX, with just under 80k on it. It is cranking extremely slow in the mornings
now, sometimes requiring a jump. It is fine the rest of the day (it gets driven
alot, and gets turned off and on about 20-30 times a day). Once it sits
overnight, same thing. I know it is getting colder (i'm in NJ), but the battery
is not that old. I have checked that there are no lights or anything staying
on, and checked the water level in the battery. Are these batteries just CRAP?
I cant justify using my extended warrantee (with $100 deductible) for a
battery, when I can get an interstate battery for $60. I am SURE they will run
a "charging system diagonostic" on it, just to bump up the price. I was told
NOT to "load test" it by disconnecting the battery while running to check the
alternator. Should I just put a damn battery in it, or risk getting stranded
somewhere?

Cold Cranking is when max amps are needed, what you might do is clean
and recondition your battery cables and ground/starter connections.

Minimum would be to pull the battery cables off the battery and clean
the cable ends and battery terminals, then coat lightly with a dialectic
grease of petroleum jelly.

To go further would be to do the same where the ground strap connects to
the chassis/motor and the Hot side to the starter.


TBerk

 

[capnned]

Minimum would be to pull the battery cables off the battery and clean
the cable ends and battery terminals, then coat lightly with a dialectic
grease of petroleum jelly.

Hmm, so Socrates has been turned into grease?