Replaced my battery a month ago with an energizer 108-h8 (as stated to get for this car in the Energizer legend book at Walmart) and due to needing a new rad I stopped driving for few weeks - took it for a spin last night and when I was heading home the car wouldn't start (it was clicking but wouldn't start). I kept trying to turn it on and the clicking stopped as well. Figured my battery was dead even though its new. Got a boost and it was just clicking and wouldn't start - did a boost for about 10 mins and still wouldn't start and now it doesn't turn on period and key doesn't work either radio lights nothing completely dead. I wanna confirm if it's the wrong battery I got or something else causing this problem. It drove fine for the 1st week when I bought the battery prior to my rad leaking.

 

That battery does NOT look vented, there would be a tube that sticks out the top side that connects to a rubber hose that vents under the vehicle.





I don't know if that has to do with your starting problem.

Check all your grounds and teminals for corrosion. Have you checked the alternator output?

details of vehicle may help ie... year, model etc.....

 

It does have a tube on the side of it - not sure how to check the alternate output - I know where its located but in terms of checking it to see if that's the problem no clue

 

It's an 03 S-type v6 3.0 auto trans - thought it was in the thread subject already

 

If it won't turn over with a boost there's electrical problems further upstream. Most likely not the battery.

 

sorry I missed that.

 

I've just recently had EXACTLY the same problem - complete blackout (see my post last week). Everything was dead, no power whatsoever, not even a dim flicker and not even a click from the starter which led me to wonder whether this was a fuse problem because of its suddenness.

I say sudden: no 'going flat' symptoms prior to the failure which led me to believe it could not possibly be the (sealed) battery (Bosch) since it was just a couple of months old! However it was.

I connected jump leads but the engine would not turn immediately - it took about 5 minutes of boost from the jump leads before anything happened. Subsequent examination showed the battery vent had not been connected - just a bit of yellowy, brown, powdery residue around the vent hole.

Hope this is of use. Frank, Dubai.

 

Further to my last reply, it occurred to me that I had another experience last year that misled me to believe that the battery was knackered - but it wasn't.

My AC compressor bearings seized and the drive belt tension prevented the engine from turning - it had all of the symptoms of a flat battery, i.e. clicking when the key was turned. When a flat battery was discounted the next possibility was the starter motor but that proved incorrect, then the garage even took off the transmission believing the fly wheel was obstructed.

In the end the AC compressor was identified but this was apparently a very unusual cause for preventing the engine to turn!

 

As for the vent on the side of the battery it was in the whole time unless there's some sort of seal I'm unaware of inside of the whole that needs to be broken or something but like I said it did drive for a whole week with no problem. As for the A/C compressor bearing issue you stated was the car completely dead before you replaced it?

 

No, that was a previous situation that I remembered as an example of another cause for the engine not to turn. On my problem last week, yes - it was a total blackout. Hope this makes sense.

 

so your car started back up once you had the the vent tube in with a boost? Mine was in the whole time though - any other areas to check or does this sound 100% a battery problem?

 

I'd put it on charge for 12+ hrs then disconnect charger and check voltage as you try to start it. If you don't know how to interpret the volts, post in detail what happens as the car cranks (or doesn't!).

 

Ok gonna buy a charger and let you know what happens

 

I'm trying to understand the logic of the vent tube not being connected and battery voltage (?)

 

Two separate issues.