# Problems starting car: Do I need a new battery, or something else?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-starting-car-do-i-need-a-new-battery-or-something-else/235050>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 18, 2004, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-starting-car-do-i-need-a-new-battery-or-something-else/235050 "2004-03-18T17:35:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-starting-car-do-i-need-a-new-battery-or-something-else/235050/21 "2004-03-18T23:29:47Z")

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> [@Really Not All That Bright](#):
>
> Not really. I heard this once before and tried it with my '93 Accord about a week after having both the battery and the alternator replaced, with the battery at full charge. Guess what? Lights dimmed.
> 
> Tried it just now with an '02 Hyundai Elantra with a 3-month old OEM battery, fully charged… lights dimmed on that one too.

Some cars (several models of Volvo come to mind, for instance) switch the headlights off while cranking, to get as much current through the starter motor as possible.

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**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-starting-car-do-i-need-a-new-battery-or-something-else/235050/22 "2004-03-19T01:08:47Z")

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Certainly, a good voltage meter never goes astray. You can measure your voltage when you park the car at night, and then do it again in the morning. If it loses more than 0.25 of a volt overnight, I’d seriously consider looking for a short-circuit battery drain somewhere.

Also, if you put your battery on a charger, you can take before and after voltage measurements. A good way to see how “tired” your battery is.

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**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-starting-car-do-i-need-a-new-battery-or-something-else/235050/23 "2004-03-19T03:31:11Z")

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Not knowing what the poster might mean by “humming” I wonder if the starter solenoid has failed and the starter motor is running, without means of being engaged to the flywheel.

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