☰
GET A QUOTE

Q: Battery and/or Alternator issues

asked by on July 11, 2016

Hello, I recently been dealing with battery and alternator issues. I bought a battery back in January. A month ago I woke up with my car completely dead, I got the battery replaced. A week ago I woke up with the same issue. So I took my car to autozone and a local mechanic they both said it was my alternator. So I got it replaced. The next day I woke up with the same issue, so I took it back to the mechanic, so he tested my battery, it read as good, but the meter also said "recharchable" so the mechanic said the alternator could have damaged the battery. So I took it to autozone to get it replaced on my warranty so they said it couldn't be replaced free. So I jumped it off and it worked fine, so I figured maybe the battery just needed charging. But I woke up this morning with it dead, I'm taking it to autozone in the morning to get it replaced hopefully it reads as a bad battery. Am I getting the run around, or could my battery just be messed up from the alternator?
My car has an automatic transmission.

Recommended Services

Car is not starting Inspection $94.99 - $114.99 Get a Quote
Or For Any Other Auto Repairs Get a Quote

You should start by having the starting and charging system thoroughly tested to ensure both systems are working properly. It sounds like you have a large parasitic drain, which means something is drawing power from the battery when the car is parked overnight. Start by checking all your interior lights, including the trunk and glove compartment light to make sure they turn on and off as they should. If there are no obvious causes of the drain, then I would have a qualified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, check the car for parasitic battery drains to diagnose the no start issue.

Cadillac
alternators
Batteries
Charging System
V8-4.6L
1996
DeVille
The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

Get an instant quote for your car

Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing


Experienced Mechanic?

Earn up to $70/hr

What others are asking

How do you change the display and reset the trip odometer?
Changing the display on your odometer or trip odometer is actually very simple. The change button lets you cycle from trip A to trip B. To reset the trip odometer, just hold the change button for more than a second....
Read more
Whistling noise over 40mph, car downshifts hard - 1996 Chevrolet K2500 Suburban
The transmission on these vehicles have many different possible problems and it sounds like you have an overrunning clutch bearing that is bad (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/loud-noise-when-using-the-clutch-inspection), which is causing it to make noise after 40mph. The problem downshifting may also be due...
Read more
Replaced blower motor resistor on a 06 honda accord 4.2l. Only blows on high regardless of what speed I set it on
Hi there. Assuming the original problem was no blower motor speeds at all, leads me to believe that the replacement blower resistor (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/heater-blower-motor-resistor-replacement) may be your issue. High blower motor relay stuck closed would of given you high speed only,...
Read more
Catalytic converter
The short answer is yes. I'll assume that the catalyst was taken off because it was damaged. They are expensive parts and many owners choose to replace catalysts with pipes or mufflers, but there are two reasons why that is...
Read more
Car starts but dies a few seconds later. If I give it any throttle when it does start it kills the engine.
As a general rule, car engines do not like cold weather and do not do operate as well in cold weather. When you start your car in the morning and turn the key to on, the coolant temperature sensor immediately...
Read more
Restricted Performance message on dashboard
When the controller sees a misfire, it shuts the fuel off to the offending cylinder, hence your "restricted performance" message. Your friend may be right because coil failures are quite common on the Jaguars. P0357 says your failure is on...
Read more
I just got my serpentine belt replaced and it's squealing when I start the car and sometimes when I hit the gas
Noise of that type is due to a failed or failing bearing in one of the pulleys or accessories (e.g., alternator, water pump, A/C compressor) that is driven by the serpentine belt, the belt is not properly tensioned, or the...
Read more
Changed battery now won't start
If prior to changing the battery you had no problems, obviously the immobilizer system is a suspect. Confirm that the engine immobilizer system (security system) is not activated thus preventing the car from starting. If the immobilizer system is on,...
Read more
My wife was driving her 2003 rav4 when it suddenly just died on her in the freeway. Temp gauge was acting up but no other issues
If the engine temperature went too high then you have overheated the engine and could of blown the head gasket causing the no start. You will need to have a mechanic like one from YourMechanic do a test to see...
Read more

Related articles

5 Essential Things to Know About Roadside Emergency Kits
Whether Whether it’s summer or winter, spring or fall – you should always have certain items available in your vehicle’s roadside emergency kit. Dead batteries, flat tires, and overheated engines can occur at any time. While most people have a...
Read more
How to Buy Good Quality Battery Cables
When When your car won’t start, it’s easy to immediately jump to the battery as the problem. If a voltage test, however, shows that the battery is fine, the issue could very well be the battery cables. These oft-overlooked components...
Read more
How to Change Battery Cables
Although simple in nature, battery cables (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/symptoms-of-a-bad-or-failing-battery-cable) are one of the most important components of a vehicle’s electrical system. They serve as...
Read more

Browse other content

Cars
Maintenance
Services
Estimates