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02 IS300 Battery issue & Hood Latch cable

3K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  IM QUIKR 
#1 ·
Hey all,

I'm having two issues first one is my car recently died at a gas station. Called triple A, got a jump start and drove for around 40 minutes, the AAA guy said it was pumping out good voltage and I probably didn't need a new battery.

Two weeks go by and my car won't start again, Should I just buy a new battery? I have no idea how old the current one is but the connection looks clean. I also only drive my car once every two weeks or so and it's been very cold I live in Boston.



Second issue,

The cable that releases the latch for the hood is sticking, before I could just keep flicking the hood release and eventually it would go to it's correct position and I could shut the hood.

This is no longer the case I can shut the hood but it won't "lock" shut, meaning anyone can put their hand under to pop it open but it won't fly open while i'm driving. I'm worried because of all this snow it's not suctioned shut and may be getting wet/condensation under the hood.

Is this a simple fix for a noob if I buy the cable or should I bring it to a shop, I've tried resetting the cable position, pulling the cable, looking at threads on here about the issue,etc Also the battery issue happened before the hood latch issue.
 
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#2 ·
This is no longer the case I can shut the hood but it won't "lock" shut, meaning anyone can put their hand under to pop it open but it won't fly open while i'm driving. I'm worried because of all this snow it's not suctioned shut and may be getting wet/condensation under the hood.
You know when you drive in the rain, the engine compartment is getting showered in water right? Everything in there is waterproof. I think you should get it fixed to keep the hood from smashing your windshield (happened to me once) but moisture isn't an issue. I could replace the cable on my car but, it's a bit of a pain in the ass. If you have the tools and are reasonably fit it's not a particularly hard job.

As for the battery. When he told you "it was pumping out good voltage" he probably meant your alternator and not the battery. I think you have symptoms of a bad battery. It depends though on how much power you car is drawing when it's turned off. If you have something pulling power all the time, this might be normal. The fact it happens after sitting suggests the battery isn't that bad but that it's discharging. If you drive somewhere, some out and it won't start the car then it's probably the battery.
 
#3 ·
Thanks,

I was not aware the water flow was going over the engine when it rained.

I always have my GPS plugged in but that night it happened I unplugged everything I had in A/C outlets and the problem happened again in two weeks. If it makes any difference, the power locks started out working then slowly stopped working all together which hopefully makes it more apparent it's the battery.
 
#4 ·
All cars pull current from the battery all the time. There's a trickle to the ECU. The Radio uses some power too. If you have an alarm it'll also consume power when the car is off. Normally, we drive cars often enough that this trickle doesn't matter. The battery is simply recharged when we drive it. Any car left long enough will eventually drain the battery.

That's why it's a little harder to diagnose this. It could be a bad battery or it could be something in your car pulling more power when the car is stopped than it should. Say the trunk light or something like that.
 
#7 ·
How old is it? Lead acid batteries generally only last 3-5 years depending on many factors including maintenance, use, and climate. If you meter it with any cheap multimeter it should be above 12 volts at a minimum.

Try some lithium grease or the likes on the hood latch cable. Even when it is binding you can return it to the open position to accept the hood latch most of the time unless it got damaged.
 
#8 ·
I have no idea, Couldn't see a date on the battery either. I put in the new battery last night and everything started right up. Looking at the other battery it looked pretty old and I saw some corrosion near the terminals.

Dumb question, when you guys say grease the cable where exactly should I be greasing the whole cable looks like it's in a protective casing...
 
#9 ·
Spray some thin aerosol type (like lithium) grease aimed to get into the sheath wear it attaches to the latch. They tend to seize up there due to the water and elemental exposure.

Like I said, you can usually reset the latch with a screw driver when it is sticking so at least the hood is properly secured.
 
#10 ·
Sounds like you have handled it pretty well. they make a protective coating that you can pick up at most automotive shops. working at a shop and having to put up with replacing batteries often i'm not a big fan of most terminal sealants. if you get a wire brush and some baking soda and water and clean the terminals somewhat regularly (5-10k miles) you will be golden.
 
#12 · (Edited)
A common problem that mimmics a bad battery is a corroded battery ground wire. Its hard to see but acid migrates down copper wire under the plastic sheath. This reduces the conductivity of the wire. The factory ground wire uses a crimp fitting on the copper to connect to the battery. There is nothing to stop the acid. I prefer the swaged fitting which seals the cable. The only solution is to replace the negative battery ground.

I just did mine last year. I picked up a battery cable at wally world with a 3/8" copper eyelet to bolt it to the block. Well worth the time and effort.

 
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