PV Gap

Cassandra Said:

Best Way To Preserve a Battery?

We Answered:

disconnect the positive and negitive post .

Laura Said:

Car does not start (soundless)?

We Answered:

"Won't start" is pretty vague. It could be hundreds of posibilities.
Dead battery, Low battery, bad ground wire to engine, bad power wire to starter, bad power wire to battery, bad connection at battery post or terminals, blown fuse, bad key switch, bad starter, bad fuel pump, bad injectors, out of gas, neutral safety switch, seized engine, broken connecting rod, no compression, no spark, bad oil pressure switch, broken timing belt, plugged fuel filter, bad starter solenoid, broken rotor, cracked distributor cap, Anti-theft device, water in/on engine, vacuum leak, bad ignition coil, blown computer, faulty cam or crank sensor ...

When you turn the key to START it what happens?
1) Nothing happens? (dead battery?, loose battery cables, or it's not in "park" all the way.)
2) You hear a "click", but nothing else? (loose battery cables, bad starter, bad starter solenoid, or broken engine)
3) You hear the starter turning, but the engine doesn't turn? (low battery voltage, bad starter or bad ring gear on flywheel/flex plate)
4) The starter turns the engine, but the engine won't start up? (out of gas, bad fuel pump, plugged fuel filter, broken timing belt, no spark)
5) The engine turns over, but very slowly. (weak battery, worn starter, out of engine oil)
6) the engine turns, but there's an awful banging noise? (something is broken inside the engine)

What happened last time you drove it?

1) Drove home fine last night, just won't start today?
2) Was driving fine, and it just died on you?
3) You haven't driven it in a while. It's been parked in storage?

Claude Said:

How to reduce a varying voltage to 6V DC?

We Answered:

What you need is a current controller in between the panel and the battery. Over voltage is not a problem, as the battery will reduce it to 6-7 volts. The problem is the current. If the charger's output of 120 mA is more than the battery can safely handle, then that has to be limited.

If the battery can safely charge at the max output of the charger, 120 mA, then you can just connect the charger directly to the battery, possibly through a diode to prevent reverse current when the charger dropped below 6 volts.

If the max safe charge current for the battery is lower, say 50 mA, then you need a current limiter, which you can do with a few transistors and a resistor.

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Chris Said:

what can i do to keep my car from dying.?

We Answered:

Your battery should not be going dead just because you don't drive it very far, especially if you've got a solar-powered battery charger.

Offhand, my bet is you have a bad voltage regulator, and it has damaged your battery.

It could also be, though, that your one-year-old battery is a lemon. You can take it back to where you bought it and have them test it. If it tests bad, they will probably replace it at little or no charge. They can also test your voltage regulator and other charging system components. Autozone, for example, will do those tests at no charge whether you've recently bought anything there or not.

It might also be that you have a bad alternator, but I rather doubt that. Usually an alternator either works or it doesn't, there's no in-between, and it sounds like you have more of an "in-between" kind of situation.

I remember having a similar probably many years ago. I would put a new battery in and it would last a few months and then it wouldn't hold a charge any longer. Went through three or four batteries that way, with the Firestone store replacing them, except the first one, at no charge. They tested the voltage regulator and said it was OK. But I finally took it to another place, they tested the voltage regulator, found the same readings the Firestone store found, and rendered the opinion that, while the reading was within specs, it was high for that model car (a Ford LTD ...remember them?). I replaced the voltage regulator and the problem disappeared.

One other thing I would mention. Nowadays most voltage regulators are an integral part of the alternator, so you might have to replace your alternator to replace the voltage regulator.

Good luck!