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Help with my new 09 impala

1K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  jtrosky 
#1 ·
Yesterday I bought a 09 impale and today it appears the battery died while I had the key in the on position while I was trying to setup on star,I turned the key over because the diisplay said battery saving mode as I turned the key it gave a weak crank and after a few tries nothing came on.it acts like a dead battery and I sent a tow truck to jump me,we got the lights to come on but when we cranked it it just clicked,could this just be a bad battery?or should i be worried that something serious is wrong,I just financed this and I'm just sick over this,any help would be great
 
#2 · (Edited)
Sure sounds like a bad battery. Starters clicking is usually indicative of insufficient power. You may have a battery drain somewhere, but the first thing I would do is grab your battery, take it to an AutoZone or Advance Auto or something and have them test it for free.

Then, if the battery is bad, get a new one, throw it in your car, see if it starts up which it should. Then I'd drive around for half an hour or so, head back to the store and have them test the battery and alternator while in your car.

If everything is good, head home and try to start your car the next morning. If it doesn't start, then you have a battery drain somewhere. But I'm willing to put money on it just being a bad battery. That's definitely what it sounds like.

You should see if the place you bought it from will replace the battery for you if that's the case.

Going back to the top, sometimes, if a battery is truly dead, hooking up a jump starter may not provide sufficient juice to start a car. Starting a car a highly demanding process. If your battery tests as okay, I'd see if you can find a place to charge it for you.

If not, reconnect your battery and try to get another car to help. Connect the working car to your car like you were going to jump it. Start the working car, and, keeping your car completely shut off, leave it connected and running for five or six minutes. Keeping the working car revving at slightly over idle may also be helpful. Then, try to start your car and see what happens. If it still doesn't go and there is no improvement in symptoms, then you might need to find an external charger. If there is symptom improvement, leave the working car connected and running for two or three minutes more, then try again.

Hope this helps :)
 
#3 ·
Thank you,I have a 50/50 warranty it's just it's nose first in the garage so I hope they can tow it out,lol the starter was clicking and after a few turns the lights went out again so I'm sure now it's the battery,it's just this two truck driver was trying to diagnose the problem which he's not qualified to do but it freaked me out,lol plus he had a problem with gm,says he'd never own or mess with one,and he said since my lights and such were commuting on its a bigger electrical problem,and I'm not sure if this matters but since it was head first in the garage he used the portable charger not sure if it's as effective as cables? But I thank you for the info,at least it makes me feel a bit better
 
#4 ·
The portable charger is good for giving a boost, but I've seen where the booster isn't enough to get a car to start.

All your symptoms (the clicking, the lights, the weak crank, the nothing then clicking) point to a bad battery. I wouldn't worry. Especially since you have a warranty.

I'm glad I was able to help!!!
 
#5 ·
Sounds like a dead cell or poor connection. Have the battery checked, walmarts with auto centers can check them too.
 
#6 ·
while you're looking at the battery, check the connections to the battery for any corrosion (flaky white stuff) and clean it off. they make a cheap battery terminal cleaning tool. don't get the corrosion on your clothes as it can eat though them, and make sure you wash it off any paint it might touch to be safe.

everything TeeRev said made sense and is a great place to start. the battery may have a purchase date somewhere near the label as well to give you an idea how old it is.
 
#7 ·
Also, just an FYI, you can get decent battery/charing system testers relatively cheap now. For example, I recently purchased this one (or at least one that looks identical to it - I actually bought it directly from China via the Wish app for less $$):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/322344568173

Handy to have and pretty damn functional for the price - you can even connect it to a PC and print results, etc..

For those that haven't seen the "Wish" app, check it out - LOTS of cool gadgets that you can't get elsewhere (most of the stuff is from China, but...). I'm hooked on it now. While I'd rather buy from USA, most of the stuff I buy simply isn't available in the USA (like Windows 10/Android dual-boot tablets with keyboard docks!).



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#8 ·
I want to thank everyone who gave me advice! I'm not mechanically inclined,but just wanted to share that I manned up and before I knew it i was taking off support bars,taking covers off fuse boxes and a 20 minute trip to AutoZone and one battered and bruised right hand i replaced the battery myself,and now she's purring like a kitten again!!!!! I actually did it myself,lol.It's funny how a person can react when put in a corner,lol. I mean I've done batteries on older cars but nothing like I did today thank you Jesus,lol The best part of it all is the dealer I bought it from played me the 150.00 that it cost,but ill tell you they did it under duress,but hey they owned up so I'm happy!
 
#9 ·
I'm glad it was the just the battery!!!
 
#10 ·
Pretty soon, we'll have you replacing brake pads, then rotors, then calipers, then, who knows, maybe an entire engine overhaul someday! :)

This forum is the perfect place to learn more about your car - lots of members willing and able to help!

Sent from my Hi10 pro using Tapatalk
 
#12 ·
You can always load up your picture in MS-Paint and resize them there...

Also, if you use a mobile device, you can access the forum via the Tapatalk app and it will automatically resize them for you when you upload them.

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