Dead Battery, Difficult To Start

[Obsidian]

Like a big boob I left the lights on, on my '01 GTS. I came back to the car about 2 hours later. It was a dead as a doorknob.

I had to jump it. But this was really strange (I think)... it would start (took a few tries to get enough juice in the batter) and then after about 3 seconds the engine would stall. I tried this maybe 10 times.

Then after a lot of frustration I disconnected the jump. Then said to myself, I would try one more time. Sure enough it fired up. I just kept the accelerator depressed slightly, since it did seem it could idle properly. After a few minutes I started driving it and everything returned to normal.

Today I drove it again, and it was perfect.

Is that normal that you need to charge the battery and disconnect the jump before starting?

 

[dave6666]

It probably just needed to relearn a few things like the throttle position, IAC etc.

 

[Vman455]

Was the alarm system armed when it died? I seem to remember someone posting about a similar problem a while back--battery died when car was armed, tried to jump it and it kept dying. Try a search and see what you find.

 

[Steve-Indy]

The situation above was resolved by the owner...for the reasons that "Right-On-Dave" listed...AND, did not sound like the shut-down caused by a violated anti-theft system.

The scary varient (at least to me) is when a Gen II battery dies and a "helper" provides a charger with a "boost to start" option (often with 50-200+ amps!!!)...and, in the process, fries the PCM !!!

 

[Purdue_Boiler_Viper]

The situation above was resolved by the owner...for the reasons that "Right-On-Dave" listed...AND, did not sound like the shut-down caused by a violated anti-theft system.

The scary varient (at least to me) is when a Gen II battery dies and a "helper" provides a charger with a "boost to start" option (often with 50-200+ amps!!!)...and, in the process, fries the PCM !!!

Hi Steve,

Excuse my ignorance once again, but what is a "boost to start" jump? Assuming the voltage is at 12 - 14 Volts, how can one fry the PCM?

Thanks,
Pat

 

[Steve-Indy]

Hi, Pat !! Thanks for jumping in here and in parallel thread. The "'boost to start" option exists on the commercial size chargers that normally charge a battery at anywhere from 35-70 amps (DC)...then, at the time one elects to start the vehicle, one flips the "crank assist output" switch to go 50-400 amps (though the voltage is reduced by my memory).

Dave, Pat, and All...I am NOT at all sure about this phenomenon, just sharing my concern about the possibility of damage under these avoidable circumstances. My "series" of adverse outcomes could be true, true but unrelated...but in each case, the Tech confirmed "dead PCM"...and the points along the path were ...car ran fine, battery dead, charged battery and flipped the boost-to-start switch, hit starter & cranked engine, no start...nothing...no spark & no fuel...all in Gen II's plus a Dakota or two. These vehicles do use the JTEC unit.

Most of you know, I really don't know my asp about electronics...just trying to pass along "clinical observations"...for YOU electrical engineers to sort.