Taurus Left Me At Gas Station

johntaurus · 06-18-2005, 05:29 AM

Well I was on my way to Seattle to visit someone and I stopped for gas at a Miristar (Wal-Mart) gas station. I got gas and went to restart the car but the battery was compleatly dead. Really pissed me off. I had been paying attention to the battery light because the guy I repoed it form said he thought the alternator was going out for some reason. Anyway, after over two hours of waiting, I was finnaly able to get my brother to come and give me a jump start. I got the car home and I shut it off in the driveway. Again, it was compleatly dead. I ripped that DieHard (and yea, evidently it did "die hard" just when I needed it!

) out and threw in the battery from my Tempo (which isnt currently being driven). The Taurus started right up. I drove it around for a little and shut it off and it started right back up again. I know the alt light on the dash works because it comes on when I go to start the car but (as it should) goes out once the car starts and the alt begins charging. I dont think there ever was a problem with the alt, just his POS DieHard battery.

In case you're wondering, by this time it was too late to make it to Seattle so I had to cancel my trip.

holedigger · 06-18-2005, 08:22 PM

A long time ago (in this galaxy), I had a battery that did that. You could drive the car (I don't remember what car it was), but sometimes it wouldn't start. What had happened was that one of the battery posts had developed an intermittent connection with the internal components. By pushing the battery terminal in various directions one could restore the connection and start the car.

Your post just reminded me of that. It must have been at least 10 years ago, when 1/2 of the TCCA members were about 6 years old.

johntaurus · 06-19-2005, 06:08 AM

Yea, I tried cleaning the terminals and putting them back on, but this battery simply wasnt taking the charge from the alt. I tried it in a different car, same result. I took the Taurus to work today (with the other battery) and it did perfect.

taurus3254ja · 06-19-2005, 06:56 AM

If your battery light has been coming on lately, it's your slip rings in the alternator that needs replacing, what's happening is that at Higher RPMs the brushes are bouncing on the slip rings cause they have slowly changed shaped because the OEM alternator uses Copper sliprings, which is soft.

I've been having the same problem for close to a year now, I had the Alternator rebuilt, he replaced everything but the slip rings cause they looked fine to the normal eye, but when the car finally completely died on Tuesday (lucky I was on my way home and on;y a few blocks away) and wouldn't hold a charge, and I had to have my buddy with his truck tow it 5 houses away to my neighbors business Automotive Electrical Rebuilders (couldn't push it, cause we had to cross a busy 4 lane avenue with a grass median) we replaced the plugs on the alternator cause the tabs had broken and the connections felt loose, this didn't solve the problem, then he began to think and figured he's try the Slip Rings... Ding Ding Ding... PROBLEM SOLVED! took long enough, but I'm glad it's finally fixed!

johntaurus · 06-20-2005, 11:11 PM

The bettery light has not been coming on except when the car is being started (as it should).

holedigger · 06-21-2005, 12:42 AM

However that is still good info. Several people have had the light coming on at higher RPMs, and this explains it nicely.

06-18-2005, 05:29 AM	#1 (permalink)
johntaurus Senior Member Member Number: 550 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Dirty South, Mississippi Visit: My Garage Posts: 2,610 Trader Score: 0 reviews Rep Power: 0	Well I was on my way to Seattle to visit someone and I stopped for gas at a Miristar (Wal-Mart) gas station. I got gas and went to restart the car but the battery was compleatly dead. Really pissed me off. I had been paying attention to the battery light because the guy I repoed it form said he thought the alternator was going out for some reason. Anyway, after over two hours of waiting, I was finnaly able to get my brother to come and give me a jump start. I got the car home and I shut it off in the driveway. Again, it was compleatly dead. I ripped that DieHard (and yea, evidently it did "die hard" just when I needed it! ) out and threw in the battery from my Tempo (which isnt currently being driven). The Taurus started right up. I drove it around for a little and shut it off and it started right back up again. I know the alt light on the dash works because it comes on when I go to start the car but (as it should) goes out once the car starts and the alt begins charging. I dont think there ever was a problem with the alt, just his POS DieHard battery. In case you're wondering, by this time it was too late to make it to Seattle so I had to cancel my trip. __________________ Ok, how about NO signature.

06-18-2005, 08:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
holedigger Senior Member Member Number: 4536 Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Vancouver, BC Visit: My Garage Posts: 1,322 Trader Score: 0 reviews Rep Power: 0	A long time ago (in this galaxy), I had a battery that did that. You could drive the car (I don't remember what car it was), but sometimes it wouldn't start. What had happened was that one of the battery posts had developed an intermittent connection with the internal components. By pushing the battery terminal in various directions one could restore the connection and start the car. Your post just reminded me of that. It must have been at least 10 years ago, when 1/2 of the TCCA members were about 6 years old. __________________ It seems hot in the valley of Taurus...

06-19-2005, 06:08 AM	#3 (permalink)
johntaurus Senior Member Member Number: 550 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Dirty South, Mississippi Visit: My Garage Posts: 2,610 Trader Score: 0 reviews Rep Power: 0	Yea, I tried cleaning the terminals and putting them back on, but this battery simply wasnt taking the charge from the alt. I tried it in a different car, same result. I took the Taurus to work today (with the other battery) and it did perfect. __________________ Ok, how about NO signature.

06-19-2005, 06:56 AM	#4 (permalink)
taurus3254ja Senior Member Member Number: 407 Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Fall River, MA Visit: My Garage Posts: 895 Trader Score: 0 reviews Rep Power: 0	If your battery light has been coming on lately, it's your slip rings in the alternator that needs replacing, what's happening is that at Higher RPMs the brushes are bouncing on the slip rings cause they have slowly changed shaped because the OEM alternator uses Copper sliprings, which is soft. I've been having the same problem for close to a year now, I had the Alternator rebuilt, he replaced everything but the slip rings cause they looked fine to the normal eye, but when the car finally completely died on Tuesday (lucky I was on my way home and on;y a few blocks away) and wouldn't hold a charge, and I had to have my buddy with his truck tow it 5 houses away to my neighbors business Automotive Electrical Rebuilders (couldn't push it, cause we had to cross a busy 4 lane avenue with a grass median) we replaced the plugs on the alternator cause the tabs had broken and the connections felt loose, this didn't solve the problem, then he began to think and figured he's try the Slip Rings... Ding Ding Ding... PROBLEM SOLVED! took long enough, but I'm glad it's finally fixed! __________________ RIP TCCA 1:00AM EST 06/09/2010 1998 Taurus SE

06-20-2005, 11:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
johntaurus Senior Member Member Number: 550 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Dirty South, Mississippi Visit: My Garage Posts: 2,610 Trader Score: 0 reviews Rep Power: 0	The bettery light has not been coming on except when the car is being started (as it should). __________________ Ok, how about NO signature.

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06-21-2005, 12:42 AM	#6 (permalink)
holedigger Senior Member Member Number: 4536 Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Vancouver, BC Visit: My Garage Posts: 1,322 Trader Score: 0 reviews Rep Power: 0	However that is still good info. Several people have had the light coming on at higher RPMs, and this explains it nicely. __________________ It seems hot in the valley of Taurus...