Q: I have been having trouble starting my car.
I brought a new battery and it seemed to work for a few weeks but then my battery seemed to be drained. I often times gave it a jump start and it seemed to work but when I would leave the car sitting for a few hours or a day the car wouldn't start. The engine won't turn over and all I hear is clicking. The majority of the time the battery doesn't seem to be dead because everything else is functional. Not sure exactly what it could be. Could you help me with this issue?
My car has 182793 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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This may be a sign of a weak battery, a failing voltage regulator or failing alternator. As you may know, the alternator is responsible for charging the battery while the engine runs by generating amperage and recharging the battery while the engine turns the alternator. The voltage regulator is a unit that regulates the charging of the battery by the alternator and maintaining a certain amperage while the engine runs. When the alternator is not working properly, this may result in the battery quickly losing charge and the car losing all power as you have described. When the charging system is not working properly and the car is continued to be driven or even just sits, the battery will slowly lose a charge. Once this happens, you may also notice the clicking sound you describe when trying to start it with a weak battery. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and repair your charging system.
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