ok last night i disconnected the negative battery terminal and ended up replacing it because the corosion. i started the car last night and it was fine. this morning i started it and it was fine but when i can to the first stoplight the idle went way down and the car turned off. i started it but the idle dropped again so i ended up presing the gas then shifting to drive quickly and was able to do that a few times to get myself to school. but im at school now and i ned to know whats wrong and how to get this fixed. im assuming this had something to do with me disconnecting the battery since the car was fine before that. car is 1998 mitsubishi montero sport thanks for any help
Check the battery. It could be either dying or need some charging. Ask for a boost and drive around for 30 mins. If after that it still shuts down, then visit a car shop and have the battery or the alternator tested. It should be free. If one of your buddies have a DMM, then use that to test the battery. The voltage reading should be 12.5v or a bit higher. If you see 10v or less, then charge the battery. If it doesn't hold charge, then replace it. With engine on, test the voltage again with DMM. The reading should be over 14v. If you see fluctuating between 10v - 14.4v, then the alternator is bad.
i have a dmm. i would have tested it but i have school. i dont understand maybe i reset something with the car's computer. but this happening now makes me think its something i did since it worked before
No need to guess. Use the DMM to find out. Might also want to check out the battery connector. Maybe it's loose or not getting good contact? When a car shuts down during idle or at a stop, it'd due to low battery voltage.
stock charging. the new terminal is as tight as i could make it. right now the car is sitting in the parking lot of a local audio shop.(closest parking lot to the school. i tested the voltage with the car off. this got wierd. it started at 12.5V then slowly went down to 10.9V. second time i tested wenty down to 11.3V. i dont get it. i couldnt test it with the car running because like i said the car dies anytime its suppose to idle. we are getting it looked at tomorrow. but i just dont understand how taking a battery terminal of could cause this much of a problem. im beginning to think that something has been wrong but it didnt show the problem until i took off the terminal. i hope this doesnt cost alot thanks for all the responses
Ask someone for a boost. Then keep the car running for 30 mins. After that, if the battery voltage drops below 12v, then the battery is dead. You'll need a new one. You might want to test the alternator while it's running. The voltage should be steady 14.4v. If you goes up and down, then the alternator is shot.
