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#1
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96 Town & Country Electrical Problem
Hi all,
About 2 weeks ago, my wife stopped at a store for about 15 minutes and when she came out the T&C wouldn't start (she said no lights just dead). I had her open the hood and make sure the cables to the battery were secure by tugging on them a little (she said they were). She went back inside and the thing started right up. Since then she said it died once while making a slow turn, but started right up. I have checked the connections and all seem secure (including checking just last night). This morning she went to the garage to start it and nothing (she said the engine compartment light was flickering). While she had the hood open, I could hear over the phone, a light "chrip" type sound over the phone comming from under the hood. I had her tap the battery connections lightly with a hammer, and still no change. She called me back later and said it finally started (the first time she said it started hard clicking then slow turn then start) and then 2 times after with no problem. She said after she would shut the engine off and turn the key to off, she hears a "click" sound from around the emergency pedal location. I believe the battery is over 4 years old, but to me it doesn't make sense that it could be dead 1 minute and the next have full power (as it did the first time this happened). I suspected the battery at first, but after I drove it for several days on my own, I didn't notice any problems. |
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#2
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Very possibly a battery going out on you, 4 yrs old, i would
"99trooper" > wrote in message lkaboutautos.com... > Hi all, > > About 2 weeks ago, my wife stopped at a store for about 15 minutes and > when she came out the T&C wouldn't start (she said no lights just dead). > I had her open the hood and make sure the cables to the battery were > secure by tugging on them a little (she said they were). She went back > inside and the thing started right up. Since then she said it died once > while making a slow turn, but started right up. > > I have checked the connections and all seem secure (including checking > just last night). This morning she went to the garage to start it and > nothing (she said the engine compartment light was flickering). While she > had the hood open, I could hear over the phone, a light "chrip" type sound > over the phone comming from under the hood. I had her tap the battery > connections lightly with a hammer, and still no change. She called me > back later and said it finally started (the first time she said it started > hard clicking then slow turn then start) and then 2 times after with no > problem. She said after she would shut the engine off and turn the key to > off, she hears a "click" sound from around the emergency pedal location. > > I believe the battery is over 4 years old, but to me it doesn't make sense > that it could be dead 1 minute and the next have full power (as it did the > first time this happened). I suspected the battery at first, but after I > drove it for several days on my own, I didn't notice any problems. > |
#3
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Very possibly a battery going out on you, 4 yrs old, i would
"99trooper" > wrote in message lkaboutautos.com... > Hi all, > > About 2 weeks ago, my wife stopped at a store for about 15 minutes and > when she came out the T&C wouldn't start (she said no lights just dead). > I had her open the hood and make sure the cables to the battery were > secure by tugging on them a little (she said they were). She went back > inside and the thing started right up. Since then she said it died once > while making a slow turn, but started right up. > > I have checked the connections and all seem secure (including checking > just last night). This morning she went to the garage to start it and > nothing (she said the engine compartment light was flickering). While she > had the hood open, I could hear over the phone, a light "chrip" type sound > over the phone comming from under the hood. I had her tap the battery > connections lightly with a hammer, and still no change. She called me > back later and said it finally started (the first time she said it started > hard clicking then slow turn then start) and then 2 times after with no > problem. She said after she would shut the engine off and turn the key to > off, she hears a "click" sound from around the emergency pedal location. > > I believe the battery is over 4 years old, but to me it doesn't make sense > that it could be dead 1 minute and the next have full power (as it did the > first time this happened). I suspected the battery at first, but after I > drove it for several days on my own, I didn't notice any problems. > |
#4
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It is possible that there is corrosion on your battery terminals and/or
battery posts. Tapping on these may sometimes temporarily fix the problem but it will recur. You should get a battery terminal cleaner that has wire brushes for cleaning both the posts and the inside of the terminals and, once cleaned use antioxidant grease for battery terminals when hooking back up. You can test to see if indeed the connections or the battery is at fault if you have a voltmeter or multimeter. While the van is acting up(and this is maybe the hardest part, hold the probes to the battery posts, NOT the terminals of the van and watch the voltage. The idea is to monitor the battery DIRECTLY and not through the terminals. Have your wife try to crank it. If it does not crank and the voltage remains above 11 volts, you have a connection problem due to corrosion, faulty cable or the like. If the battery voltage drops way down when the van does not crank, the battery is failing internally. |
#5
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It is possible that there is corrosion on your battery terminals and/or
battery posts. Tapping on these may sometimes temporarily fix the problem but it will recur. You should get a battery terminal cleaner that has wire brushes for cleaning both the posts and the inside of the terminals and, once cleaned use antioxidant grease for battery terminals when hooking back up. You can test to see if indeed the connections or the battery is at fault if you have a voltmeter or multimeter. While the van is acting up(and this is maybe the hardest part, hold the probes to the battery posts, NOT the terminals of the van and watch the voltage. The idea is to monitor the battery DIRECTLY and not through the terminals. Have your wife try to crank it. If it does not crank and the voltage remains above 11 volts, you have a connection problem due to corrosion, faulty cable or the like. If the battery voltage drops way down when the van does not crank, the battery is failing internally. |
#6
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It is possible that there is corrosion on your battery terminals and/or
battery posts. Tapping on these may sometimes temporarily fix the problem but it will recur. You should get a battery terminal cleaner that has wire brushes for cleaning both the posts and the inside of the terminals and, once cleaned use antioxidant grease for battery terminals when hooking back up. You can test to see if indeed the connections or the battery is at fault if you have a voltmeter or multimeter. While the van is acting up(and this is maybe the hardest part, hold the probes to the battery posts, NOT the terminals of the van and watch the voltage. The idea is to monitor the battery DIRECTLY and not through the terminals. Have your wife try to crank it. If it does not crank and the voltage remains above 11 volts, you have a connection problem due to corrosion, faulty cable or the like. If the battery voltage drops way down when the van does not crank, the battery is failing internally. |
#7
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It is possible that there is corrosion on your battery terminals and/or
battery posts. Tapping on these may sometimes temporarily fix the problem but it will recur. You should get a battery terminal cleaner that has wire brushes for cleaning both the posts and the inside of the terminals and, once cleaned use antioxidant grease for battery terminals when hooking back up. You can test to see if indeed the connections or the battery is at fault if you have a voltmeter or multimeter. While the van is acting up(and this is maybe the hardest part, hold the probes to the battery posts, NOT the terminals of the van and watch the voltage. The idea is to monitor the battery DIRECTLY and not through the terminals. Have your wife try to crank it. If it does not crank and the voltage remains above 11 volts, you have a connection problem due to corrosion, faulty cable or the like. If the battery voltage drops way down when the van does not crank, the battery is failing internally. |
#8
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Thanks for the info... I have a brush for the posts and cables (just been
too busy lately to really do a good job- so I left it. Anyway, I will go get a new battery tommorrow, and also clean my cables and see where it takes me. |
#9
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Thanks for the info... I have a brush for the posts and cables (just been
too busy lately to really do a good job- so I left it. Anyway, I will go get a new battery tommorrow, and also clean my cables and see where it takes me. |
#10
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"99trooper" > wrote in message alkaboutautos.com>...
> Hi all, > > About 2 weeks ago, my wife stopped at a store for about 15 minutes and > when she came out the T&C wouldn't start (she said no lights just dead). > I had her open the hood and make sure the cables to the battery were > secure by tugging on them a little (she said they were). She went back > inside and the thing started right up. Since then she said it died once > while making a slow turn, but started right up. > > I have checked the connections and all seem secure (including checking > just last night). This morning she went to the garage to start it and > nothing (she said the engine compartment light was flickering). While she > had the hood open, I could hear over the phone, a light "chrip" type sound > over the phone comming from under the hood. I had her tap the battery > connections lightly with a hammer, and still no change. She called me > back later and said it finally started (the first time she said it started > hard clicking then slow turn then start) and then 2 times after with no > problem. She said after she would shut the engine off and turn the key to > off, she hears a "click" sound from around the emergency pedal location. > > I believe the battery is over 4 years old, but to me it doesn't make sense > that it could be dead 1 minute and the next have full power (as it did the > first time this happened). I suspected the battery at first, but after I > drove it for several days on my own, I didn't notice any problems. I have the same problem a few years ago on another type of car, but i think it is a similar problem. Check the ground connections..battery / starter / engine to body and so on. The battery is not to old,you have another two or three years before it may cause problems, depending on how you treat it of course. The sound may be a relay trying to close when you got a bad ground connection. //Janne |
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