Battery dead....AGAIN!!!!!!

[heart_of_dixie]

For the second time in as many months, I had to have my PT towed to the dealer because of a dead battery. Last month they put a new battery in. Well, they called yesterday afternoon and said I could come pick it up, they had the battery charged...grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I asked what was the problem and they said they didn't find anything. I told them I could have jumped off the darn thing, I wanted to know WHY it keeps happening. They said they could keep it over the weekend and leave it "hooked up" to see if the machine came up with anything. This is NOT a 5-star dealership....could that make a difference? Also, what constitutes having a "lemon"? My other 2001 that we totalled I never had ONE MOMENTS problem with. I have had this one 2 months and at 4,500 miles it has had to be taken in twice!

[TomCat]

I THINK they get 3 tries to repair the same problem for the Lemon Law to possibly kick in, but I may be wrong.

Sorry to hear about your troubles, I know how frustrating that can be.

[dreamwerxx]

Originally posted by heart_of_dixie
For the second time in as many months, I had to have my PT towed to the dealer because of a dead battery.

Is your name Bill, and did you used to have a DC1 and go by the alias Goldmember??

[PT_Sean]

TOWED for a dead battery?? Couldn't it be boosted??

[1 bad white turbo]

sorry to hear about your problems!
are you going to be at the picnic this coming weekend?

[heart_of_dixie]

Yes towed...it is under warranty and why should I have to keep going out of my way to jump it off. This is the fourth time in 2 months it has happened. It got a brand new battery just last month. Since they didn't bother to find the problem last time, I thought if it got towed in dead THIS time they might at least TRY to figure out what is repeatedly draining the bettery. Again......would it be better to take it to a 5-star dealer, or are they all supposed to be qualified to do a quality job?

[1 bad white turbo]

well, my 5-star dealer sprayed oil up underneathe my jeep and said it was leaking, so go figure! hope to see you this coming weekend. I dont know if i will be there or not.

[heart_of_dixie]

Me neither since I can't keep my car running long enough to even get to use it *rolling eyes*. If I get to come, I guess I'll have to leave it running so that I can be sure to have a charged battery for the trip home! Hope you get to come to the picnic, if so have a safe trip!

[1 bad white turbo]

you too!

[PT_Sean]

If you have a voltmeter, check the voltage across the battery leads while the PT is running- you should see about 14V. If not, your alternator/regulator is not pumping the correct juice out.

Also, with the key OFF, check the voltage again, is it slowly dropping? (12.0- 11.9, 11.8, ....). If so, you may ahave a parsitic leak or draw.

You then can go one step further and yank the IOD (ignition off draw) fuse and see if the volatage continues to drop.

My battery dies once in a while from not using the PT as much (I have since installed a trickle charger), but all I would do is boost it, fix the clock , and go for a nice long run. Or charge the battery with a 10A charger for an hour or so.

I agree, if it is a repetative prob, tow it to a dealer and TELL THEM to fix it!!

5-Star dealers - their surveys by buyers make them a 5-Star dealer, service isn't necessarily better. I just got a letter from the dealership thanking me for buying the van, and a reminder to fill out the 5-star survey! Odd, I have never been there for service, yet I am supposed to RATE them. Rate this.