| Subject: | 06 mit galant |
| Question: |
if i turn off the engine and keep my radio on, longer than a few minutes, the car will be hesistant to start. This has done this twice within a week, and ive never had this problem before. however once the car starts and it runs for a while, everything is fine..the horn and inside car lights still function, even when car is hesitant to start. is this an indicator of battery going bad , or alternator? |
| Answer: | Tee, This can indicate a dying battery. The best thing to do (before it's too late) is have your battery load tested. Most major auto parts stores (like AutoZone, PepBoys, Advance Auto Parts, etc.) can perform this for you for free. They can even test your alternator. If you have a volt meter, you can check to test the voltage across the battery is around 14.4 volts while the car is running. At rest, the battery should be around 12.5 volts. Any electrical draw on the battery while the car is not running will slowly run down the battery. Once your voltage drops below 11.5 volts or so, it will be very difficult to start the engine. So have the battery and alternator tested as soon as possible to be sure you don't find yourself stuck in parking lot with a dead battery someday. Good luck! |