Car won't start Battery or Alternator? Find out! 

Great video Moe, I have had so many people say to me "Well my battery has 12V DC and it still cranks slow it's gotta be my starter".. yes it can have 12V DC but when you crank it the voltage could drop down to 8 or 10 volts and barley crank. The Cranking Amperage is all that matters when the Amperage is lost the voltage will drop below 12V DC, the best way is like you said "Crank it and the voltage should not drop past 12V DC" Also low battery Voltage can still start a car but allot of mid 90's cars will actually loose power and have issues running correctly because the ECU needs a full 13V DC While running and it will cause the Injection Pulse Width to shorten causing the car to run leaner loosing power. I have even seen newer cars even lose spark all because of a Low Battery Voltage. I Thought I could share some of my Experience with you as well. lol Great Video My friend!

My car doesnt start so how does this video even help?

Excellent tips and very easy to remember. Thanks for sharing.

Great tips, love your channel. I've been told you can disconnect the leads while the car is running. If it keeps running your alternator is supposed to be good. I've never tested this out. Do you think that's a valid way of checking it?

Car won't start, can't check it like this.lol

So heres the situation. The other day before work i got in my car, put the key in so far so good, all the lights are on the dashboard, a/c is running and radio is on. Now when i turn the key all the way to turn on the car, the car completely died. No sign of life, no lights anywhere, no power and i cant even turn it on again. Any thoughts on the matter at hand?

How does this help me if my car won't start?

Some good tips, Thanks!

had alternator starter and battery tested...all were good...however had new battery installed and still have to get car jumped every other day...sometimes the voltage on my dash reads 12.8 to 14.5 and fluctuates at times...what is the problem

Great Tips! I dont leave the house with out at least one multimeter for those kinds of tests on the road.

a reputable auto parts store should do a load test and check your alternator with a voltmeter.... that's sad that they said to just replace the battery

My car will not crank or even turn over- so what now? No use turning on the ac/wipers or anyting else. I have a new battery 6months less & has sparks/juice. Plz reply.

Yeah I had the battery problem about a month ago. Wad able to test it and the voltage was going from 10 volts to 8 volts in two hours so I thought I had a parasitic draw problem so I unhooked the battery and charged the battery the voltage kept going down so I knew I had a bad battery at this time.

I set commercial electric analog multimeter to 50 to test 12 V car battery and it read a lil over 10 close to 12 . Is that right ? I've also a slow charger at 1.5 amp slow charge . I cranked it soo much yesterday trying to get car started but nada . I had it towed . How long will this take ? i want to be able to crank car engine to work / test on car today

Ah the famous free harbor freight multimeter. Got myself about 6 of those things. So very handy. Thanks for making this video. Really appreciate it.

good info for those that need help Moe ! Thumbs up bro ..

Title of video....."car won't start..." Instructions: start the car. Thanks for wasting my time.

You're not bright are you? All you had to do is turn the radio on and keep it down all the way.

Lol mine cost 40+ on sale (botch) 60 bux with a terminal cleaner shit

How do you test it with the car running if the car as you said yourself won't start?

Legit video, no fluff & lots of info. Thanks!

“Car won’t start” 4 mins in, “okay where gonna start the car”

good tips... Loss connections can fool you.. Thanks

Tnks very great explanation for DYs. Be bless

Great overview of the charging system. I have had one hundred plus cars, trucks boats, and have probably replaced one or the other alt or batt and then replaced the other. I have a 1999 suburban that if it sits two weeks with clean batt. terminals will not start. I have s cheap HF 1.5 watt solar panel on the dash plugged in to the cigarette lighter.....solved the no start but wonder if its a drain / short issue or week batt. or ? Hmmmm

actually it will drop to 9.6 but any lower than that in the battery is dead not good

Video is called car won't start. "We're gonna start the car"

I don't think there is one thing you didn't turn on lol

I can't buy a working relays in my city, my multimeter works weird, AND I got a can't find drain on my '69! STUCK! F! F! Fuc#!!!!!

alot if times on an old car it needs a new positive cable.

Tell people how to use multimeter, what to set it on thanks

Great tips Moe, do you have any tips on keeping spare batteries charged up over long periods? I keep a marine deep cycle battery on a trickle charger and I have had the batteries go bad and the chargers burn out in a year or two.

You didn’t mention anything about a starter.

The whole point is the car won’t start dude

No mention of maintaining the battery by filling it with distilled water? Epsom salt? Who knew.

Great video on testing !!!....I used to carry a cheap miltimeter in my glove box and helped alot of people by showing them if it was the alternator or battery that was bad

Good straight forward info Sixtyfive

Good video 65, thanks I got about 5 years more life from an old batt by just draining the electrolyte out and pouring new stuff in it. The Epsom salt trick is a new one on me, keep em coming!

What should the battery reading be if the vehicle is off? Would it still be 13.5 v?

I was looking for a video to troubleshoot why my car doesn't start....am I in the wrong place!!!

Another way it's while the car is running take your battery cables off if it dies alternator. This is a more crude way of diagnosis but in a pinch it might work Great vid very good for novice

Comment below says it all wtf????

2008 CHEVY HHR SS WHEN I TURN IT OFF IT WONT START. IS IT AN EZ FIX ? ALSO ELEC GOES ON OFF BY. ITSELF

Excellent vid ,found ur vid when my car (2006 pontiac pursuit)died tonight after struggling to start all day in between (7 0r 8)clients. It stopped starting for me at my last client's house about 30 mins from home. Gonna be calling my tow guy first thing..this is probably what the problem is ty!! :0) Hope this is all that is the problem. subbed ya (im pretty sure its just my battery now) So if i keep my battery i can give it more life then is that correct?? :O good to know also !

Schweet information O_o (Sean Connery's 007 voice). Stuff everyone can use ... who drives. I have an 80 courier that died while running to keep it from getting stale. A new battery (different) wont allow the lights to turn on, and the new battery (different) is a deep cycle. It may have killed another battery, the pretty new one in it went bad & won't charge. I know the deep cycle had juice, because wrench, pop pow I jumped & dropped the wrench, lol. I disconnected the battery. Any thoughts? The ground seems good & clean. Seems like a module, but I don't think courier has one & that should kill batteries, though I don't have good confirmation that it did kill the batteries. This is a puzzle.

My volts gauge was slowly dipping.. N after leaving the gas station everything was going dim. Slowly it died.. I waited about 20 mins.. N my lights was still dim. N the battery will charge but cant hold a charge i guess.. Any ideas what it can be.. My only jeep.

Good video bro. Went out and bought the multi-meter you showed at Harbor Freight. Worked great.

xD im running an amp that puts out 5000 watts. (that is 5000 watts RMS btw...) so really if i wanted to turn on "everything" in my SUV...id kill my battery. even if my alt is running super good. i actually need to upgrade my alt and get more batteries because i have trouble with voltage drop lol

What do you do when the battery post itself is loose.not The terminals but the battery post

I have a 92 firebird tbi 305 v8 that died on me coming home one day...wouldn't start, let it sit a few mins and tried again and it fired up and I have to floor the gas to keep it from dying, ended up dying 2 more times on the way when I had to let off the gas to turn....going to get a cheap multimeter to test if parasitic draw is killing the battery and then see what the volts are by default. Going to get it jumped off tomorrow and see if it cranks.....I let it sit 4 weeks due to money issues and bought a new IAC, TPS, Dist. cap and rotor and pcv valve, and it just cranks and turns over but wouldn't actually start when I tried earlier. Battery is only a 3 month old interstate in it though which is what gets me...they're apparently very well regarded so I don't see how a 3 month old high end battery could croak on me like that. Could be the fuel pump maybe or battery or alternator...I need to pull every plug and see if they're bad. EDIT: Got a battery tester and it says it only has 60% charge...going to also check for parasitic draw with a multimeter. Bad battery,alternator and/or bad parasitic draw killing the battery are my guesses now

Hi my 2003 dodge dakota wont run for more than 5 minutes untill dash is completely off and still keep running untill i shut it off or after like 10 minutes of ideling it runs outta gas cause pump aint got enough power but battery is dead only makes the starter click like it barely is catching But when i checked with multimeter to check power with ignition off it reads 14.63v but when i try and start it it drops to 4-5v is that a alternator or bad battery in ur opinion or anyone need help I cleaned everything and it died faster than before

one problem though your video is called car won't start battery or alternator then you proceeded to say that to test the alternator you have to put a load on the car while it's running, yet car won't start. Genius

Many thanks, sir! Take care.

Hey thanx for the tips.. my car lost power while driving and won’t start but all the lights and radio works ..I’m trying to do some homework b4 the mechanic comes up with 5 others reason why the car won’t start thanx again

Start car, disconnect battery. If it stays running it’s the battery.

Those cheap meters may not be super accurate but they will do this job. I get the free coupons and picked them up and put one in each vehicle. Unlikely to get stolen. The same with the battery clamps. Either replace them as maintenance or keep a set or two in the tool box. Modern alternators do not charge a low battery, so if you have to jump start, make sure you put a charger on it. One alternator rebuilder told me that a real low battery can ruin an alternator after a while. That is why you should upgrade it if you put many accessories on your vehicle that drain power. I don't think most people realize that a modern vehicle will drain a battery in around 21 days just sitting. You need a disconnect or a battery tender.

I have an old multimeter and really don't know how to use it. The directions assume the person knows which DCV, DCA, OHM or ACV is when to use them and what number to set dial at. I have no clue. It looks like yours was set on video at 10 DCV? That is what I will try, but the number guage is so small and massive amount of numbers I may not be able to translate it to know anything. Any tips?

Hey Moe, nice tip. I will pass this video around.

i have a nissan primera and is not starting and nothing i hear sooo maybe is the car cause is not craking soo please help me

I've never used a bolt meter so plz show what wire attached where?

gr8 info....and u cant beat harbor freight for free stuff....

If you can get someone to jump start your car, or use a jumper pack. Once the car is running an easy way to tell if your alternator is working at all. Is just unplug the battery. If the car dies right away you know you need a new Alternator. If the car does not die immediately good chance it is your battery. Only thing it will not tell you is if the alternator is running half ass. For that check you need a multimeter. ;P

Thank you!!! This was super helpful because I’m at the “truck won’t start” point so I’m glad to know there’s still a test for the alternator once I get it started 👍🏻

how you check alternator when car won't start up . Thanks

Epsosalt love U bro

Hey you forgot to mention what setting to put the charge tester on (red box) before we test the battery... HELP never used one before.

How do I do this if the car won't start? Terrible

good pointer

Oops Voltage meter

Yes Great video just checked my Nieces car this way. Great explanation.

Ebson salt..let's see if I can bring back my tractor battery! Thanks man great info as always.

Wow I watch 5 videos and didn't get it. But this guy was straightforward and hit the bell

Okay I have a problem: I drove my car the night before with no problem, the next day it wouldn’t start , it try’s to turn over but won’t start! I got a battery light on and epc light. My scan tool gave me a code p0300 multiple misfires and p0301 to p0304 I changed the plugs and coils and put in new battery still nothing! Any ideas? Could a dead alternator cause it not to start? Still getting same codes! H-e-l-p !

alright video but mis leading people to think alternator is bad if it drops thats not true all the time it can be a voltage regulator so don't change alternator if its not that

Can you tell if the alternator is bad WITHOUT being able to start the car?

Love your videos, i had a cell drop in my battery, on turning the key all there was, was a click from the solinoid, garage said it was my starter motor! We couldnt agree so i took it home knowing full well it was the battery, changed it and the car was like a new one, ps the only reason i didnt do the job myself in the first place was because my garage gets discount, con artists

how much are those multi meters again?

Good stuff!!! I remember way back going through this process and replacing a battery but the problem turned out to be a power draw that took several days to drain the battery so if I didn't use the vehicle for 3-4 days I would have to charge it or get a jump , so in my case the battery (although fairly old) and charging system were ok , and I now had a spare battery : )

Great video.. cars when cranking will drop to 9.5-10.5 or more regularly with good batteries and alternators. Rarely will one stay about 12 volts during cranking. Thanks for posting

also get teacher but can you put to camera closer to to car so we can see thinks better? Thanks

sixtyfiveford I would think a guy like you would have a load tester for batteries? No? Or, did you just choose not to use it for this video? EDIT: Just noticed you didn't put the link to the Epson Salts solution in the description?

Hi, would i be able to use a 12v dc power supply running of the mains from the house to start a car with a dead battery? presuming nobody is nearby to give me a jump start, thanks Reply ·

I have a 2009 buick enclave, the voltage stays write around 14.4 buy for some reason every few days it will start dropping till about 13volts and just hang there until I shut it off and start it again then it will be back at 14.4 before gradually dropping again, after a couple days of that it will stay write at 14.4 ,I am completely confused please any information will help. psi brand new 170 amp alternator and Brand new agm platinum battery.

Multi meters and understanding women are about 2 of the same for me .I got 3 of em from H.F. free & never learned how to use em. I found at the 1:17 mark on this video i could see where you had it set to and i went at the battery in the neon..It was at 12.90 pre start and after a short drive tested 13.89-13.92 running .Then i cranked on all the lights & fans and it read 14.42 . So this clears up the mystery of my battery going dead .Looks like i'll be investing in a dog or a camera .Thanks for the video !

You make what seems difficult into simplistic language for the ordinary Guy/Gal .. I found that very interesting helpful and may get much use out of this Video ,, Thanks Man, ( you know the old saying ) Keep it simple stupid ... well not calling you stupid but you do keep it simple for the rest of us who might fall into the stupid bracket :) Oh and getting myself a Multi-meter . Keep them coming and thanks again

Good to know

Best video ever! It's freezing today in my car didn't start very well it's probably about -3°F Minnesota I think it's the first coldest day of this year

Epsom salt? Love the real world tips!

Great tips. One question though, do these numbers apply to motorcycles too( our batteries are usually 12v 11Ah)? 13.5v while bike is running idle with lights on to be sure alternator is ok? I think i once herd 14v while reving up to 5000rpm and 12.5v at idle(could be wrong)

I have an accord 2001 and it didn't start, called tow truck, the guy hit a plate or something under the car and then the car started. He said it might be filled with junk. What could be the issue? I have a new batter and starter only 1 year old.

I learned many moons ago to clean the terminals and posts until they're shiny and swab on some petroleum jelly (vasoline). I've been doing this on all my vehicles and it keeps the terminals free of that nasty acid/corrosion build-up.

Can you test the alternator if car won’t crank? Thanks

I have a 1998 civic, i was driving and when i took a turn my car cut off. Radio and lights and things of that nature still function and turn on, but when i try to fully turn the car over all it does is just click. Ive take the starter to get checked, ive tried jump starting the car, and even pushing it to start(manual transmission) and nothing all it does is just click. Im not sure if it might be the alternator and im contemplating on taking it out to get it tested. Any other idea on what it may be?

Great basics! I think a lot of people will be helped by this video.

I've got the free (with purchase) meter from Harbor Freight and now I have another way to use it....thumbs up. Keep them coming.

No lights on my car will come on not even the dash . When I jumpstart it my SUV dies over night what could be the problem?

Thank you so much. This is my first time watching this video and, I have to say That it was really good. Thank you so much for your help.

my battery is good and I put a brand new alternator in my car but it won't stay running as soon as I disconnect the positive cable the car cuts off once the battery died same thing with jumper cables add soon as it is disconnected the cat shuts off what now?

While the engine was running I used to........... Sorry no I didn't, lol . Good tips

Good video, well presented. Lots of people know what they know but can't explain it