Is it the Battery or my Alternator?????? HEEELP!

[Bossmonkee]

Im not really good at this but here goes, I noticed that for almost a month now my car has been having great difficulty starting up most especially if left turned off for more than 8 hrs, and any longer than that and I end up requesting people to help push the car for me to jump start it, funny thing is that even with this issue, the battery indicator has never come on, I mean it lights up when I turn the key and turns off when the car starts. I took it to a car shop, they plugged some wires, ran some tests, and the conclusions they are giving me may be true but it could also be that they may be just trying to squeeze as much cash from me as possible. At first they told me that its the battery, its too small for the car, in a nutshell they say the car consumes more power than what the battery is able to charge back, and they added that the guy who probably sold me the car just put that battery in just so he can sell it. Ok I will admit the battery looks really small, its pretty obvious because the battery compartment is bigger than the battery itself, but the thing is the car has not been giving me any start-up issues for the first year and a half so if it was a battery issue wouldn't it have had start up issues from the start? and they're next diagnosis is that there is a possible problem with the alternator, so they are suggesting that I first buy a battery from them (surprisingly they're suggesting that I get the most expensive at 8k) and then if the battery does not solve the issue thats when I get my alternator checked and possibly replaced ( lol which they also do) and I asked them that in case its an alternator issue, could I return the battery?, and they said no..... So, its not like Im calling them a bunch of crooks...yet, but it just seems a bit suspicious so I might as well get some feed back from you guys first before I do anything else, just to get other peoples opinion on this matter, Thanks

Car by the way is a Hyundai Getz, 2007, manual

[1D4LV]

i used to own a getz..... and i ran on a 1SM battery that i put water regularly.
one thing to find out.... check the output voltage of the alternator.... if its too low, then its the alternator..
when was the last time you changed your battery pala?

[dreamur]

How about trying to call a motolite delivery service? They will ask for your car model and will suggest the appropriate match. They will test the battery first and if it is functioning well, they will not force you to buy the battery but you have to pay the service charge (300 I think).

[1D4LV]

i used to own a getz..... and i ran on a 1SM battery that i put water regularly.
one thing to find out.... check the output voltage of the alternator.... if its too low, then its the alternator..
when was the last time you changed your battery pala?

[Bossmonkee]

i used to own a getz..... and i ran on a 1SM battery that i put water regularly.
one thing to find out.... check the output voltage of the alternator.... if its too low, then its the alternator..
when was the last time you changed your battery pala?

Never changed it yet, battery is pretty new, it was installed the day I bought the car, the mechanic did say that the car was consuming more than what it was charging so he says it could be the alternator, but why was he still pushing me to buy the battery...I wondered why couldnt they have used a spare battery in their shop and checked if it was the battery or not

if in case its the alternator, is it expensive to repair, am I better off having a battery problem rather than an alternator problem?

How about trying to call a motolite delivery service? They will ask for your car model and will suggest the appropriate match. They will test the battery first and if it is functioning well, they will not force you to buy the battery but you have to pay the service charge (300 I think)

Not sure if Motolite does it here in our city, but didnt try that yet, but Ill give it a shot

[1D4LV]

Never changed it yet, battery is pretty new, it was installed the day I bought the car, the mechanic did say that the car was consuming more than what it was charging so he says it could be the alternator, but why was he still pushing me to buy the battery...I wondered why couldnt they have used a spare battery in their shop and checked if it was the battery or not

if in case its the alternator, is it expensive to repair, am I better off having a battery problem rather than an alternator problem?




Not sure if Motolite does it here in our city, but didnt try that yet, but Ill give it a shot

suspicious..... i strongly feel its the battery.
better yet, bring it to a reputable shop...

[midnytwarrior]

Hello Sir,
Ask ko lang po if nun time na dinala ninyo sa mekaniko eh kung gumamit po ba sila ng tester?
Yun battery po ba maintenance free? If maintenance free ano po color nun hydrometer?
If not maintenance free, musta naman po yun water level?
Nag try po ba yun mekaniko na i-remove yun connection ng battery habang umaandar yun engine?

Better yet, I suggest try nyo po yun suggestion ni dreamur.

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Hello Sir,
Ask ko lang po if nun time na dinala ninyo sa mekaniko eh kung gumamit po ba sila ng tester?
Yun battery po ba maintenance free? If maintenance free ano po color nun hydrometer?
If not maintenance free, musta naman po yun water level?
Nag try po ba yun mekaniko na i-remove yun connection ng battery habang umaandar yun engine?

Better yet, I suggest try nyo po yun suggestion ni dreamur.

[miko101130]

Im not really good at this but here goes, I noticed that for almost a month now my car has been having great difficulty starting up most especially if left turned off for more than 8 hrs, and any longer than that and I end up requesting people to help push the car for me to jump start it, funny thing is that even with this issue, the battery indicator has never come on, I mean it lights up when I turn the key and turns off when the car starts. I took it to a car shop, they plugged some wires, ran some tests, and the conclusions they are giving me may be true but it could also be that they may be just trying to squeeze as much cash from me as possible. At first they told me that its the battery, its too small for the car, in a nutshell they say the car consumes more power than what the battery is able to charge back, and they added that the guy who probably sold me the car just put that battery in just so he can sell it. Ok I will admit the battery looks really small, its pretty obvious because the battery compartment is bigger than the battery itself, but the thing is the car has not been giving me any start-up issues for the first year and a half so if it was a battery issue wouldn't it have had start up issues from the start? and they're next diagnosis is that there is a possible problem with the alternator, so they are suggesting that I first buy a battery from them (surprisingly they're suggesting that I get the most expensive at 8k) and then if the battery does not solve the issue thats when I get my alternator checked and possibly replaced ( lol which they also do) and I asked them that in case its an alternator issue, could I return the battery?, and they said no..... So, its not like Im calling them a bunch of crooks...yet, but it just seems a bit suspicious so I might as well get some feed back from you guys first before I do anything else, just to get other peoples opinion on this matter, Thanks

Car by the way is a Hyundai Getz, 2007, manual

follow this steps sir, and you will not go wrong or waste your money

1. first, use the appropriate battery size for the vehicle. regardless of other factor, if it uses 2sm or 1sm as factory size, then use the correct size and rating. never go below the rating but you can go above the specification.

2.have your battery and alternator "LOAD TESTED". hanap ka preferred battery shop mo in your area, whether motolite yan or ibang shop, then ask them to Load test your battery. if wala sila gamit, lipat ka to another shop until you find one,

load testing will determine if the alternator is producing enough current to charge your battery even if all accessories are being operated.
(alternator output > aircon/headlights/radio/map lights/ etc consumption )
example if your alternator produces 80 amps, and all accessories are at 50 amps, then the remaining 30 amps will charge the battery.

load testing will eliminate whether the battery or alternator is the cause of your hard start.

3. if battery is the culprit replace it. if alternator is below charging output, bring it to a shop to have the diodes/IC replaced and for a new set of carbon brush.

4. if the battery and alternator checks ok!, then your hard starting might not be related to your battery and alternator. it might be something else, we move from that point to another aspect of the starting system.

5. be sure that there is no parasitic ground or parasitic load that is constantly and continuously consuming power even when you turn of the ignition.

[Bossmonkee]

Sige po, thanks by the way sa mga lahat na suggestion ill try them all out, by the way i took another look at my battery, my battery type doesnt seem to have any brand, looks like a very ordinary generic battery with a small white sticker on top stating that its an NS40

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Sige po, thanks by the way sa mga lahat na suggestion ill try them all out, by the way i took another look at my battery, my battery type doesnt seem to have any brand, looks like a very ordinary generic battery with a small white sticker on top stating that its an NS40

[magnehelic]

I had my battery checked and replaced by motolite express delivery service last weekend since it was confirmed that my battery is already weak. They have a handy tester to check whether your battery is for replacement or if the alternator is still capable of charging your battery, if you want you may call their hotline,

[magnehelic]

eto po yun tester

[vvti2.0]

Yung tester tinitingnan nyan kung mag drop ang output kung may mataas na current demand battery mo.

[Bossmonkee]

I had my battery checked and replaced by motolite express delivery service last weekend since it was confirmed that my battery is already weak. They have a handy tester to check whether your battery is for replacement or if the alternator is still capable of charging your battery, if you want you may call their hotline,

Sige po, I think Ill give this a try first, since it looks to me that this may be a much easier-on-the-pocket option, cos the rest here mentioned that in case its an alternator and not the battery, the motolite mechanics will tell you that and just charge you like P300 for the check up, Thanks again


P.S. By the way, how much did they charge you for the whole service? including the battery

[cast_no_shadow]

Sige po, I think Ill give this a try first, since it looks to me that this may be a much easier-on-the-pocket option, cos the rest here mentioned that in case its an alternator and not the battery, the motolite mechanics will tell you that and just charge you like P300 for the check up, Thanks again


P.S. By the way, how much did they charge you for the whole service?

300 or 350 IIRC

[magnehelic]

Sige po, I think Ill give this a try first, since it looks to me that this may be a much easier-on-the-pocket option, cos the rest here mentioned that in case its an alternator and not the battery, the motolite mechanics will tell you that and just charge you like P300 for the check up, Thanks again


P.S. By the way, how much did they charge you for the whole service? including the battery

Motolite Enduro battery (2SMF) is P4,500, if you want to trade-in your old battery, it would be less P280-P340 depending on how you made the deal on the phone. There is no service charge if your battery will be replaced.

[Lew_Alcindor]

Do you have an idea how old your battery is? Kung wala, then I suggest palitan mo ngayon then record it. May lifespan din kasi battery which is for me around 3 years.

Then have someone with the proper equipment check the output of the alternator.

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Do you have an idea how old your battery is? Kung wala, then I suggest palitan mo ngayon then record it. May lifespan din kasi battery which is for me around 3 years.

Then have someone with the proper equipment check the output of the alternator.

[dr. d]

Im not really good at this but here goes, I noticed that for almost a month now my car has been having great difficulty starting up most especially if left turned off for more than 8 hrs, and any longer than that and I end up requesting people to help push the car for me to jump start it, funny thing is that even with this issue, the battery indicator has never come on, I mean it lights up when I turn the key and turns off when the car starts. I took it to a car shop, they plugged some wires, ran some tests, and the conclusions they are giving me may be true but it could also be that they may be just trying to squeeze as much cash from me as possible. At first they told me that its the battery, its too small for the car, in a nutshell they say the car consumes more power than what the battery is able to charge back, and they added that the guy who probably sold me the car just put that battery in just so he can sell it. Ok I will admit the battery looks really small, its pretty obvious because the battery compartment is bigger than the battery itself, but the thing is the car has not been giving me any start-up issues for the first year and a half so if it was a battery issue wouldn't it have had start up issues from the start? and they're next diagnosis is that there is a possible problem with the alternator, so they are suggesting that I first buy a battery from them (surprisingly they're suggesting that I get the most expensive at 8k) and then if the battery does not solve the issue thats when I get my alternator checked and possibly replaced ( lol which they also do) and I asked them that in case its an alternator issue, could I return the battery?, and they said no..... So, its not like Im calling them a bunch of crooks...yet, but it just seems a bit suspicious so I might as well get some feed back from you guys first before I do anything else, just to get other peoples opinion on this matter, Thanks

Car by the way is a Hyundai Getz, 2007, manual

hah! memories of the past!
turn off your engine a few minutes after running the car. if you can re-start the car easily, it's the battery. it retains charge only for a short time. that is why in the morning, wala nang karga.
bring it to the battery store and they will confirm it.

what size to get? i get the one step smaller than what the manual says. i have been doing this for ages.. no problems.
the battery is just so you can start the engine. after that, the alternator takes over. so if your car is bone-stock, with no electrical toys, and your alternator is not defective, i think a smaller battery will do fine. CALL FIRST for price quotation! they will usually give you a better price because they know you are canvasing and they have to give a competitive price. pang-turista ang "free delivery" price.

i always get the maintenance-free or low-maintenance battery. hassle yung lagay-lagay ng tubig.. at kakalawangin pa yung metal hood sa taas ng baterya.

with today's modern cars, i never had to charge my battery with a battery charger. the alternator is adequate.
the time my battery shows signs of weak charge, is about the time it has to be replaced.

we used to push-start our vehicles when we were younger and funds-challenged.. it took us 2 months of daily push-starting, to convince us to get a new battery (yung independent rebuild, mas mura kasi..).

have fun.

[Bossmonkee]

^^^ I agree most of my office mates also suggest that its ok if the battery is a slightly smaller one that what is supposed to be for the car cos its just for starting up, and my car is not the type with all the bells and whistles, I mean its a 1.1 engine, and the only thing that seems fancy is the power windows, thats it lol but I dont get why the mechanics keep pushing me to get a Motolite or Outlast Gold thats around 8k I mean its not like Im driving a fully spruced up SUV or something, guess Ill just be giving Motolite a call and have them check it instead

But I still cant understand how it could be a battery problem when I twist the key once the battery light turns on and when I turn the car on, the light disappears, at least I know that the light indicator is not faulty. If it is indeed an issue with the battery, shouldn't the battery indicator light remain on? Just wondering

[12vdc]

The battery light indicator in your dash shines whenever the generator/alternator is A: Engine not running but key is in the "ON" position B: Alt's IC regulator is busted C: Open winding or busted brush in the alt's stator. Item A. is written in the user manual AFAIK. If bat light remains even if the engine is running then its either B or C.

Battery cranking capability can be tested using a tester in the battery shop. If you are inclined doing tech stuff, you may DiY testing using a VOM, konstant 40 ampere load, and a timer. You may also check for parasitic load if still not convinced with battery problem.

If i were you, id just bring the car to the battery shop assess battery then replace if tested worn. Testing is usually free of charge.

[dr. d]

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by the way...
the car may be in brand new condition when you bought it and drove it out of the showroom.
but that battery certainly is not brand new... it was installed in the factory so the car can be driven out.., and has been in the car ever since.. so how long has the car been in the factory and/or boat and/or showroom, before you got it? 2 months? 4 months? 6 months? and no owner to charge it once in a while...?
certainly not brand new...

and there is also the "factory defect".. that is what warranty is for.