MY RIV WONT START!

Ok, I hear you guys.. but why did the battery make it through 2 weeks of this sub zero shit and start just fine. Then yesterday, not the coldest day, it starts to sputter?

Did it take that long for the battery to finally wear down on amps?

Also, My commute is 2 miles out and 2 miles back so I can definitely see how I dont get full charging time on the roads.

I'm about to go do a 20 mile loop to charge this bitch back up and pray she starts tomorrow morning.


Thanks for all your help, homies.

I don't think it was getting charged enough. The good news is a Yellow Top will survive just about anything, so the battery will be fine after you get her back up to speed.

You can read volts using Torque through OBDII. Next time before you start the car, check the reading to know if you charged it enough on the last drive. A healthy battery should read right around 12 volts. If it's like 11.5v then you probably didn't drive it enough the previous trip.

Btw, driving your Riv 2 mins and shutting it off isn't the best thing for the engine, aside from the battery. Not enough time to get all the moisture out of the exhaust and crankcase. It shortens oil life, too.

AA wrote:

Nope, voltmeter. If you measure the resistance of the starter motor, you can calculate its draw at a specific voltage.

So an Ohmmeter then? (I'm messin with you)

Multi-Meter!!!!!! Fair enough?!!!

An ammeter big enough to measure 800+ Amps is a $$$$$$$ tool.

Anyone can get a volt/ohm meter for $20 and do some math to get amps. It will at least get you close. I haven't measured, but based on what's happened here the resistance is probably in the area of ~0.015 ohm.

I'm a big fan of the OEM battery. I know the Optimas are all that and a bag of chips to some people, but I've never liked them myself. Seen too many failures. 20 years ago when they were "new" and I used to work at an auto parts store, and I still read about it today. As far as I can tell, they cost more and have no benefit over the battery the car was designed for.

I liked the OEM battery, too, but when it died I found out it was no longer available. My Red Top is on its 5th year and still starts the car at -10ºF. Can't really complain.

I wouldn't call Charlie's issue a defect or fault. The Yellow Top just isn't designed for the conditions in which it's being used here.

That definitely sounds like a weak battery. Double check the cable tightness first and try a jump start.