Well I just had major elbow surgery about 3 weeks ago and haven't been able to drive so my 3g was sitting in the street basically the whole time.

Tried the other day to start the car, wouldnt start, everything had power, (dash/nav/headlights all worked)but tried to jump it anyway and didn't help.

Noticed car was on E, so I threw in a gallon of gas today. Started up very rough, ran for about 10 seconds and cut off.

Background: Battery and alternator replaced last winter. Car ran fine about a month ago, started and drove no problem.

 

Pull your battery connections and clean them, then re-tighten. The battery clamps don't seem fit aftermarket batteries very well.

There have been tons of people with starting problems only to find out it was a loose/dirty/corroded connection. You indeed could also have a weak battery from sitting 3 weeks.

 

If our battery connections are corroded out how much will it cost to replace? and can I do it myself?

 

All you need to do is clean them, not replace them.

 

^listen to this guy.

i had the same deal as you, SCS15. i disconnected the battery connections, cleaned some corrosion off, applied some terminal protectant, haven't had a problem since.

 

not if they look like this....


if they get this bad, then you will need to replace. yes you can do it yourself.

 

^^^Mine weren't that bad, but close. There are commercial corrosion cleaners you can buy, but I did it the old fashioned way: I removed the battery and then dipped each connector in a disposable plastic cup fill with baking soda mixed with warm water and let it soak for 5-10 mintues. Then I used a wire brush dipped in the baking soda solution to knock off the stubborn stuff. You could also probably use an old toothbrush. I also used the brush on the battery terminals and doused the top of the battery with a baking soda/water solution.

As mentioned earlier, I highly recommend buying terminal protectant/pads. You can get the pads and a spray can of the stuff packaged together at Wally World for under $5. If you don't, the corrosion will soon reappear.

I don't know why, but these damn terminals corrode worse than any I've ever seen. The connectors don't fit aftermarket batteries all that well and I suspect that has something to do with it.