The List for Week of January 25, 2010

[St. Clown]

Re: The List for Week of January 25, 2010

Hm. I suspect it's a bad connection somewhere that isn't allowing the car to charge properly, though the battery might have just died from old age and weird charging habits. Not sure if those Altimas have voltage regulators as part of the alternator, or if it's separate, but that's a possibility.

I just replaced the alternator this past fall. I think it was a combination of the battery being old and the fact that I just "cleaned" the battery Saturday with a water/baking soda solution. The positive terminal was coated with corrosion, and the battery had seemed weak over the last couple months. I had to scour the terminal connection/clamp with a wire brush Sunday because the car acted like I didn't turn on the ignition then. Once I scrubbed it, the car started without a hiccup. I'm going to replace the battery cable soon. If I can swing it, maybe I could just replace the terminal connection instead as it looks to be a separate piece from the cable itself.

[Beer Pong Horn]

Re: The List for Week of January 25, 2010

2000 Altima, when they still had the 2.4L engines rather than the 2.5L engines they've used since the 2002 model year.

Last year the car pretty much froze during the deep cold snap we had about this time last year. It sat in a park-and-ride lot for a week until the temp got warm enough for the engine to turn over. The battery was not the problem last year. I just couldn't get the engine to make more than one or two revolutions.

This time, as my brother put it, I was an idiot for parking with the nose pointed to the west - into the wind. I didn't even think of it when pulling into the park-and-ride this morning.

Hm. I suspect it's a bad connection somewhere that isn't allowing the car to charge properly, though the battery might have just died from old age and weird charging habits. Not sure if those Altimas have voltage regulators as part of the alternator, or if it's separate, but that's a possibility.

[St. Clown]

Re: The List for Week of January 25, 2010

What kind of car? I had a lot of problems with my Geo Prizm (Corolla knockoff) with a bad ground cable, other bad cables, a bad alternator and a bad voltage regulator. That last can lead to over/undercharged batteries and premature failure pretty often.

2000 Altima, when they still had the 2.4L engines rather than the 2.5L engines they've used since the 2002 model year.

Last year the car pretty much froze during the deep cold snap we had about this time last year. It sat in a park-and-ride lot for a week until the temp got warm enough for the engine to turn over. The battery was not the problem last year. I just couldn't get the engine to make more than one or two revolutions.

This time, as my brother put it, I was an idiot for parking with the nose pointed to the west - into the wind. I didn't even think of it when pulling into the park-and-ride this morning.

[Beer Pong Horn]

Re: The List for Week of January 25, 2010

My car battery dieing today goes on The List.

Paying $45 (& another $10 in tip for saving me the $75+mileage) to the tow truck driver to more or less show me how to start the damm car after my brother ran me to the store for a new battery and the tools to swap it out (closer, faster and less of an irritant to my brother than driving me home to grab my tools) goes on The List, too.

Tow truck driver is on the Anti-List for saving me the extra $30+mileage, however.

I think it's time to start looking for a new car. this is the second winter in a row where I've had this same/similar issue. I don't think the battery was really the issue. I'm not wholly sure what the issue was, however.

What kind of car? I had a lot of problems with my Geo Prizm (Corolla knockoff) with a bad ground cable, other bad cables, a bad alternator and a bad voltage regulator. That last can lead to over/undercharged batteries and premature failure pretty often.

[St. Clown]

Re: The List for Week of January 25, 2010

My car battery dieing today goes on The List.

Paying $45 (& another $10 in tip for saving me the $75+mileage) to the tow truck driver to more or less show me how to start the damm car after my brother ran me to the store for a new battery and the tools to swap it out (closer, faster and less of an irritant to my brother than driving me home to grab my tools) goes on The List, too.

Tow truck driver is on the Anti-List for saving me the extra $30+mileage, however.

I think it's time to start looking for a new car. this is the second winter in a row where I've had this same/similar issue. I don't think the battery was really the issue. I'm not wholly sure what the issue was, however.

[Lady wore Black]

Re: The List for Week of January 25, 2010

Sweeping the rodents. The Anti-List

Watching the Vikings lose. The Anti-List

Still job searching. The List

[ajoyce02]

Swept by Jan Brady, List.

Vikings lost, Anti-List.

Survived the bachelor party last Friday, Anti-List. Injuries to others were minor.

Work is Listed right now.

Not much to rant about this week, have a good one.