Mooscenic 1st Gear August 4, 2006 Share August 4, 2006 Hi there, Last night my ride (Mazda 2) while stationary at the traffic light, the RPM fluxuated slightly from 3/4 mark to 1/2 mark on the RPM gauge... The lights on dashboard dimmed slightly and my voltage gauge needle was swinging left and right... Wonder if this might be the start of battery failure???? Anyway, when I had reached my destination and parked, the RPM remained stable... Cannot replicate the fault... Not even this morning while driving and at my mechanic... Well, had my battery replaced as a safe measure and for peace of mind (Since it's used for 1 year and 4 months already)... Changed to Dynamics 45AMP at $70.20 (with 10% discount) and now the RPM is very stable... Any idea if it's due to a weakening battery or might there be some other faults that I need to look out for??? Like maybe spark plug? (Not likely as my mech told me that if spark plug, car will be jerking) or maybe aircon cutting in and causing this problem??? Mooooooooooooo ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
El69 Neutral Newbie August 4, 2006 Share August 4, 2006 The battery is the source of power only at startup. Once the engine is running, the alternator takes over. Your case could be a combination of a weak battery with a failing alternator, hence the fluctuations and not complete failure. Have your alternator and all cable connections checked else it may 'kill' your battery soon cos you dun know if the fault lies with the batt in the 1st place. I'm assumiing its an electrical problem, could also be other parts showing signs of wear and thus affecting the idling. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mooscenic 1st Gear August 4, 2006 Author Share August 4, 2006 Hi there, So now should I check my car in to have the alternator checked or just monitor the situation... Currently the car is bahving normally and no more of the RPM moving down.... Also what cables are to be checked??? Any obvious sign that the alternator is dying on me? Since car is only 1 year and 4 months old, think this is covered as my warranty??? I mean alternator supposed to last much longer ya??? Mooooooooooooo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pisces69 6th Gear August 4, 2006 Share August 4, 2006 It might have been caused by a loose connection somewhere. Trouble-shoot will be quite time consuming but u can start with the battery terminal connections, the alternator & fuse boxes. If u dont have the problem anymore than but a loose connection sud come back once in awhile though unless the connection has been tightned like the battery terminals when you changed your battery. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mooscenic 1st Gear August 4, 2006 Author Share August 4, 2006 Yup the battery terminals have been tighten up real well.. Am sure cause looking at my mech while he was connecting it up.... Just afraid that if alternator... Then better to have it sent back to MM to have it looked at and possibly replaced while in warranty??? Anyway will drive around and monitor it... If alright then ! Hehehehe... Moooooooooooooooo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evildoer Neutral Newbie August 4, 2006 Share August 4, 2006 maybe a bro or sis on holiday drift thru ur batt affecting the electrical sys...'they' are known to do tat... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pisces69 6th Gear August 4, 2006 Share August 4, 2006 Normally alternator when it goes it really goes Cannot bring back to life. I suspect your battery terminals were loose lah. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mooscenic 1st Gear August 4, 2006 Author Share August 4, 2006 Wooooo hooooooo........ scary....... Oh if alternator go means kaput ah??? Ok then now must paste the talisman in car engine bay first to ward off the thing.... Hehehe... Moooooooooooo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carstyle Neutral Newbie August 4, 2006 Share August 4, 2006 (edited) Yea, I also think it's loose connection somewhere. Normally, weak battery contributes to hard starting, RPM fluctuation is due to loose connections somewhere. I had this experience once soon after repairing the car. Stop at a carpark, open the bonnet to inspect, and realised that the mechanic forgot to tighten the battery connectors. Edited August 4, 2006 by Carstyle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mooscenic 1st Gear August 4, 2006 Author Share August 4, 2006 Come to think of it... Most time my car can start up well... Meaning 1 crank can start but just occasionally, the start up like different sound and feel... Though still crank up just after 1 turn of the key... So most probably is the battery connection... Will continue to monitor this situation and should be eliminated by now, since just changed to a new maintenance free batt! Now more peace of mind when driving, as I hate the feeling that the car will just die on me anytime... And most time at the most time when it spoil, always at the most unoptuned time and at the most akward places... Hehehehe.... Mooooooooo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pisces69 6th Gear August 4, 2006 Share August 4, 2006 That's the most common cause. & the easiest to solve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
El69 Neutral Newbie August 4, 2006 Share August 4, 2006 Hi there, So now should I check my car in to have the alternator checked or just monitor the situation... Currently the car is bahving normally and no more of the RPM moving down.... Also what cables are to be checked??? Any obvious sign that the alternator is dying on me? Since car is only 1 year and 4 months old, think this is covered as my warranty??? I mean alternator supposed to last much longer ya??? Mooooooooooooo Like the rest said, safer to get it checked cos we're talking about current here. A common cause of fire within the engine bay is a loose cable that transfer current and causing it to spark intermittently. Replacement of battery and inconvenience is cheap compared to a fire. Not scaring you but better to be safe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carchngchia Clutched August 4, 2006 Share August 4, 2006 (edited) Yup the battery terminals have been tighten up real well.. Am sure cause looking at my mech while he was connecting it up.... Just afraid that if alternator... Then better to have it sent back to MM to have it looked at and possibly replaced while in warranty??? Anyway will drive around and monitor it... If alright then ! Hehehehe... Moooooooooooooooo To check whether alternator is working or not after changing to new battery,you can do the following. Get your battery shop or your car agent to do a "load test".Its basically means on ALLthe current sapping device like headlights, aircon,Ice,etc etc after starting engine at idle.The shop have a instrument (like a volt meter) to check the alternator.Its a simple procedure and should be FOC.Just ask them to do a Load Testand they will know what to do. Edited August 4, 2006 by Carchngchia ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In NowRelated Discussions
Related Discussions
My EV journey to the i4
My EV journey to the i4
Request for dark mode
Request for dark mode
The Electric Vehicle Charging Problem
The Electric Vehicle Charging Problem
How often do I need to change tyres and battery?
How often do I need to change tyres and battery?
Lithium-Iron Battery (LFP) - New & Better Alternative?
Lithium-Iron Battery (LFP) - New & Better Alternative?
Car key fob battery
Car key fob battery
Bringing you premium engine oils, interesting car parts, and in-depth car repair services - Auto 101
Bringing you premium engine oils, interesting car parts, and in-depth car repair services - Auto 101
Panasonic vs Varta
Panasonic vs Varta