QuestionI have a 2002 Honda Civic 4 door EX. 3 times over the summer I went to start it and the battery was dead. I just had it in for an oil change the beginning of September and had the guys check the battery, they said it was fine. I drive the car inconsistently between 1-4 times/ week usually for a short trip to the store sometimes for an hour's drive, and ocassionally for a 5 hour trip. Ocassionally the car will sit for up to 3 weeks at a time. The battery is only dead after it has sat for several days or more and once it gets jumped is good to go for a few days. I poured Coke over the terminals. I'm afraid it might be the alternator but I've been told that that is a sudden problem and a dying battery won't have anything to do with it. Someone suggested it might be the spark plugs. I bought the car in this January with 90K miles on it from a sketchy dealer. It now has just over 100. The only other problems it has is the back driver's side window occasionally won't go up with the driver's switch and the bottom side of the heat shield just fell off undernieth from rust. I hope those are enough details. I've looked all over the internet for an indication that the problem could be the spark plugs, with no help. I'm hoping to change them myself but don't want to try unless there is a good chance that is it. THANK YOU for your help.
AnswerHi Josie,
Chances are good that as long as you are not leaving an interior light or glove-box light on while the vehicle is parked, the specific gravity in your battery is low and that means the end for that battery and is in need of being changed.
A car battery (Lead-Acid) uses an electrolyte and water mixture to store minute amounts of energy in the steel plates lining the bottom of the battery inside. The more consistent the energy-flow, in as well as out, the longer the specific gravity of the battery will remain stable. When the battery charges and discharges at odd intervals, the steel plates start to corrode shorting themselves out one at a time over a period of time. As more plates short-to-ground, the amount of available energy decreases until there is nothing. The more time it sits charged or discharged, the faster it will die.
It would appear to me that if the energy isn't able to remain for more than a two or three day period, the battery has one foot in the grave and the other following closely. It is time for replacement. A new battery will take up to three years to start shorting the plates because of the anti-corrosion agents used in the electrolyte mixture but the additives don't last very long, like I said, three years tops especially if you continue to use the battery as you have this one.
Don't take that the wrong way, you haven't done anything wrong, you started out with a weak battery and the small amount of stress you gave it was enough to kill it. A new battery can be expected to hold a usable charge for up to 300 days.
If the window only intermittently refuses to go up using the master window control but does operate fine with the individual door switch, it's possible that the MWS has some corrosion on the contacts to that window. When devices are used infrequently, issues like that will surface. I know you're probably glad that the heatshield fell off so it would stop making that infernal rattling noise!
Heatshields are additional parts installed by the manufacturer to protect the vehicle in the event of an unusual event. The converter sits pretty close to the floor an gets pretty hot but not hot enough to cause any damage to the floor/carpet unless the converter blocks up an over heats. If that occurs without the heat shield in place, you may see some steam come off of your carpet under the passengers feet but under normal everyday situations, the shield is basically an un-needed part. There are other shields in and under the vehicle but they are all there to protect in the event of something extraordinary, not normal everyday driving situations.
Looking for a reputable service technician? My advice on finding a good technician is: Steer clear of the dealership and 'chain' stores like Firestone, Sears, Pep Boys, Monro Muffler/Brake, Midas, etc. as they usually only employ ONE ASE Certified Tech just so they can say they do and chances are, that guy is the asst. manager or manager and is not in the store to diagnose/repair vehicles anyway. Find a service location in the link below or get some names out of the yellow-pages and do a drive-by. Garages that employ ASE Certified Technicians will be marked with the 'Blue-Seal' insignia. If unsure about whether a place employs Certified Techs, just ask to see their credentials. ALL ASE Certified Technicians will be PROUD to show and display their certificate(s).
Thanks for the question, I hope this information was helpful to you.
Fred
Knucklebusters Used Auto & Truck Parts, Inc.
www.knucklebusters.us
570-453-0910
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Click here: http://www.ase.com/bluesealsearch/locator.php
