A couple weeks ago I tried starting my 2000 ford focus and I got the ticking sound like my battery was dead. I sat there for a moment and then for some reason turned my lights on and tried starting my car and it turned on. My car ran fine for a few days and then I tried starting it again, same problem, but this time I just tried to restart my car and sure enough it worked. I then made a trip to another city 90miles away, and on my way home I got gas and made one last stop. Then my car did it again, I had someone give me a boost this time cause it wouldn't start, I was able to drive 90miles back home and when I was a block away my car just lost all power as I was coming to a stop sign, I tried starting it and it wouldn't even tick. I then started pushing my car down the block and as I was pushing it my radio turned on, haha. I then got it into my parking spot, tried to start it and it ran. The next morning I went to go to work and my car wouldn't start and only starts with a boost. I haven't drove it yet cause I'm not sure what it could be. The terminals were badly corroded so I tried cleaning them, I'm unable to get the positive one off cause it seems to be fused to the post. So yeah, I'm stumped, is it my weak battery or my alternator?
any other info would help a lot thank you!

 

first of all....wear eye protection when fooling around with batteries....overcharged batteries and flammable acid fumes can explode...dont smoke when working on batteries...acid splashed on your face and skin you can wash off without any lasting injury...but your eyes are a different matter! I have had 3 explode in my experience..once on me and twice in the shop I worked with on other guys....it happens!!!!

sounds like you might have a loose connection going from your positive battery terminal to the alternator/relay/starter...I would start by inspecting the battery terminal cables all the way down to both alternator and starter and relay......look for corrosion or loose nut/connection. Have someone try and start the car while you wiggle the cables (be carefull not to get close to fanbelts)

To remove the corrosion...clean with baking soda and water....the baking soda counteracts the acid and will allow you to remove the white or green "furry" corrosion..

If you dont find a loose connection...check your alternator output...when it is running...what is the voltage reading from the alternator? Do you have an gauge in the dash? it should read around 13-14 volts. if your reading below 13 volts then your alternator might be going out....which could have killed your battery.....but first check the output with a good battery borrowed from another vehicle...

if voltage is reading correctly in your dash...take out old battery and have it tested......if it is a refillable battery (unlikely) make sure cells are full or top them off with distilled water.....If your gauge is higher than 14 volts..it most likely is overcharging the battery and the overflow will cause the acid levels to be low....which usually means replacement is needed...fill with distilled water

If it is a sealed battery....you can sometimes hold it up to the light and see the acid levels in the cells..but it will usually have an "eye" on it indicating its charge....dont be fooled....it should be bright green....if it is faint green you could still have a bad cell which means new battery is needed

take it to a auto parts store....they will put a load test on it to check

if replacing the battery, an old rule of thumb is you get a battery with twice the cold cranking amps as the cubic inches of the motor.

If you wish to save some money...look in your yellow pages and look up local battery repair shops...they rebuild batteries and they can be up to 30% less expensive than the *ragen or *utozone places..


If battery and alternator are working correctly....then you have another issue that needed to be addressed further...

let us know..

 

Thanks a lot for your guidelines .They are really helpful in my work.I am owner of Wright Import Service Center repair shop.We offer a wide range of auto repair services including Tire change,breaks,shocks,alignment,suspension,ac service etc.and i really appreciate this types of post.

 

I assume the battery is very old. A 2000?


Clean the battery posts with those wire post cleaners. Then also clean the inside of the terminals that squeeze around the posts.


These need to be shiny lead color.


Put a 2 amp slow charge on the battery for a day and some of these no maintain batteries have a cover over the cells that can be popped up to add distilled water.


Of course check the alternator for a voltage supply AND amperage delivery.


If it was me I'd go out and stick in the largest cold cranking battery that could fit into the space under the hood.


skip.