Is this a battery problem?

Within the recent weeks, my car would not turn on a few times, which would have been later around in the day (it always turned on at the beginning of the day but this problem would arise much later). The car wouldn't even get to the point of it cranking, it just wouldn't turn on period. Key in, and nothing. I would hear a very faint click, but I thought that was coming from the speakers so I didn't take that note too seriously. All my fluids were checked out to be fine, and I had a hunch that the battery was the culprit. By the time I realized that the battery may be the problem, it was too late to open the trunk to check it out and charge it (my trunk can ONLY be opened electronically) as everything electrical including the radio was dead, but yet my lights would work. So the next morning I went and got a battery booster that would boost through the cigarette socket and presto the car worked.

Approximately two weeks later, today, my car did the same thing at a park. I waited an hour, used that battery charger via cig. socket gadget and the fiero wouldn't turn on. The car was dead (radio and such were working fine however). I waited an hour or so then my car managed to turn on and made it successfully home.For testing purposes, I turned my car on and off multiple times and it worked every single time. Then, later, I drove the car and after 10 minutes of driving, the radio would flicker on and off which repeated around ~3 times. Then... my car completely died in the middle of the road! Completely shutdown! Nothing electrical (radio etc.) worked, not even the hazard lights. Not even the automatic locking mechanism. I manage to push the car out of the way with the help of a friendly bystander, but I was wondering if this is actually a battery issue or not because I don't think a car would completely die in the midst of driving because of a bad battery. I drive an automatic 1984 Fiero.

If your car dies in the middle of the road, then it's an electrical system problem and not your battery. The only time you actually use battery power is in starting the car. Your alternator and charging circuit is supposed to run the car. However, being winter (or getting close to it), you should have a fully charged battery to start. A worn battery would stress your alternator to the point where it might wear out sooner also. Especially in the winter where you may be stuck in traffic and your engine is idling a low revs. If you have headlights, wipers, radio, and other current draining things running, the stock alternator is unlikely to be able to keep up the electrical demand and may be draining your battery.

If your battery is older than 7 years, you should run a desulphate and conditioning charger on it and charge it up fully. Even then, your battery may be toast strictly from age.   I recharge my battery to full at least once a year near the end of summer.    

i would check all your grounds and the batt connection on the starter, I had a similar problem and found the cables were loose

 

Hello,

Thanks for your responses guys. Will definitely check those suggestions ASAP. That being said, do you think the battery cabling in question are also behind the my Fiero lights being stuck up (unable to go down), or is that likely a separate issue.

You guys were right, it was definitely the wires, they were burnt by which I presume to be from the exhaust! Smart location huh.

InfernoFiero wrote: I had a mobile mechanic change the alternator with a brand new one I bought from Lorco (Bosch). My Fiero still wouldn't turn on, and electrical stuff like the radio and such wouldn't turn on either. Then, he told me it must be the battery now (thinking the battery was completely dead), and with that I bought a brand new battery from Walmart and bam, it still doesn't work. Nothing happens!

InfernoFiero wrote: ...it was definitely the wires, they were burnt by which I presume to be from the exhaust!

Was this a licensed mechanic?

And he didn't check something so elementary as the battery cables to the starter and/or ground?

Now you know why most of us here work on our own cars!