Q: New battery losing power
I purchased a Pontiac Torrent 5 days ago. My Torrent was completely dead today. It wouldn’t start, and the key got stuck in the ignition. It wouldn’t turn over at first, but the lights were still coming on and flashing. I tried an hour later, but it still didn’t start. Not even the lights were coming on. Yesterday the dashboard was saying “service stabilitra,” “service traction control” and “service battery charger” or something like that. My husband took the battery to get it checked, and it read “bad battery,” so I paid for a new one. The car will start now. But on the way to my mom’s house (after driving 12 miles,) the “battery charging system” light came on again. The dealership was no help. I don't want to take it to a car repair shop, because they all charge too much money, and they do a lousy job. Could you please tell me what the problem might be?
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When the charging system indicator comes on the majority of the cases are caused by a faulty alternator. I suggest having the starting and charging system tested by a technician. When the battery was installed a connection it may not have been tightened properly and is causing intermittent open conditions in the alternator charging circuit.
I agree that repair shops are pretty expensive. A great alternative to taking a trip to the shop is enlisting a certified mechanic from YourMechanic. While the technician is testing the electrical system they will also check all of the related wiring and connections to accurately diagnose your draining battery issue. Once this is done, an accurate repair can then be made.
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