battery will not charge.. other than a bad battery, is the only other cause a dead alternator? jump started the car and drove around for 20min... killed the engine and wouldnt start again.

 

Take the alternator out and get it tested at an autoparts store. Super easy to do

 

To check if your alternator is working, take a voltmeter and put the leads on the batt terminal while the car is idle with no load and check voltage.

Voltage will vary slightly on load and RPM, but generally you should be seeing ~14.1~14.4 volts. If it is below that voltage, then your alternator is not charging.

 

Yep, do this. Even if it reads 13.5ish that can be variance from a cheaper DVM and still likely is charging correctly.

But, you said you jumped it off and started driving and it died? If so you are likely going to find the alternator is bad. If you meant you just shut it off and then it would not restart, then the charging system is likely good since it kept the car running, meaning bad battery most likely.

Check that the green connector is plugged in firmly. Sometimes with age that will not snap in as well and can back out. And if the right pin is still connected, you will not get a charge error light and it will just drain. Ask me how I know that

If you perform the voltage test and it is not reading >13.5V while running and wiring looks good, take it out and have it tested as someone mentioned to double verify the alternator is bad before replacing it. There is a change a wiring issue is preventing it from charging so better to let them test it for free before purchasing a new one.

 

20 minutes “driving around” may not have been long enough at higher speeds to charge your battery enough. 20 minutes driving at highway speeds is what I’ve gone by. Yet I invested in a battery charger years ago. Get a decent one and it will last for a long time.

 

Be advised that when this mess is cleaned up you might find you have a flickering gauge lights from a bad alternator rectifier. Often happens if you jump start this car. Hopefully you dodged the bullet.

I have found over the years that at the first sign of something goofy in the start/charging/electrical system, I am spring loaded to replace the battery. In many years, of many cars, only my 2004 MDX alternator failed at 165K miles. In all other cases the problem went away with the new battery.

 

Check your fuses. One of them powers the alternator field.

 

awesome.. thanks for all the quick responses... its been a while since i've been on this board happy to see its still so active

 

Get a new battery.