Did I screw up my car?!?

[NewbieSC]

Hello all,

Got a newbie question about my 81SC..... Last week the battery started to go on my car so I was push starting it to get it going (hill parking makes this easy!). I was planning on installing a new battery this weekend. This morning I didn't notice that the battery had no juice whatsoever when I started rolling it down the hill to get it started. Suffice to say, it didn't start as usual. I tried to jump start it with a friends car, but no luck. It seemed to crank over okay when I tried to jump start it, but it just wouldn't go! Question is.....did I screw up the engine in anyway doing this (push starting with no juice)?

Any help would be appreciated!

Cheers,
Newb

[DanielDudley]

Did you connect the terminals correctly, positive to positive, negative to negative ? I'm guessing cheap jumpers, and not waiting to let it charge.

Also consider that a dead battery will activate the disable portion of some alarm systems.

Put the battery on a trickle charger overnight. Reset the alarm, and try to start the puppy. LOL

[vash]

you probably fried your alternator. an alternator is a real crappy battery charger. it is great at only maintaining a properly charged and funtioning battery.

[DanielDudley]

Any luck ?

[Miguel Antonett]

A totally dead battery would not operate the fuel pump... with no fuel you can push it to the end of the world and nothing will hapen... May be that's it.
Also, to jump start a Pcar you need lots of cold cranks that the donor might not have.

[Emission]

Originally posted by Miguel Antonett
A totally dead battery would not operate the fuel pump... with no fuel you can push it to the end of the world and nothing will hapen... May be that's it.
Also, to jump start a Pcar you need lots of cold cranks that the donor might not have.

I didn't know that.

So, you can't push-start a car if it doesn't have a battery?

[Eagledriver]

It has to have enough juice to fire the spark plugs and run the fuel pump.

-Andy

[Hugh R]

Hadn't really thought about it that way with the battery and electric fuel pumps, but it makes sense. The generator or alternator wouldn't make enough juice in that brief second of jumping.

[MRM]

Alternators are pretty common to go on our era of 911s and aren't that hard or expensive to fix. I don't think you hurt your car push starting it. it just sounds like the alternator is gone. Get a rebuilt model with a 1 year warranty and you'll be ok.

[tcar]

You can fry the alternator using it constantly for a battery charger. It's not made for that.

Bite the bullet, buy a new battery and see if it's ok.

[AvonGil]

Get a new battery asap, you are destroying the alternator.

[911pcars]

Before you buy anything, make sure the battery is terminal. You might have an abnormal current draw sucking the life out of it when parked. If that's the case, it'll happen to a sparkling new battery as well.

An alternator must have a load (battery) to deliver the current it produces. Otherwise, the alternator will fail. Same effect if the battery is disconnected with the engine running. Don't.

Sherwood

[NewbieSC]

Thanks for the replies guys!

I got the car started by charging the battery overnight. I will be replacing the battery anyways since it's over four year old.

I did find the "abnormal" current draw. It the oil pressure idiot light. the light stays on when the engine is off! I did a check on the oil and oil pressure and it looks to be a faulty sending unit since there is sufficient amounts of oil and pressure when the engine is running (5 bar at 4000rpms and idiot light off).

I think the sending unit is behind the CIS stuff at the top of the engine. Is there any way of reaching this without dropping the engine? Is there a way to cut the draw from the light so I don't have to go through too many batteries before I have a chance to change the sending unit?

Thanks,
Newb

[rick-l]

Originally posted by NewbieSC
I did find the "abnormal" current draw. It the oil pressure idiot light. the light stays on when the engine is off!

You have bigger problems than the sensor since the oil pressure light is switched off the ignition switch.

And as far as;

Originally posted by vash
you probably fried your alternator. an alternator is a real crappy battery charger. it is great at only maintaining a properly charged and funtioning battery.

Originally posted by tcar
You can fry the alternator using it constantly for a battery charger. It's not made for that.

Don't worry about it. This would only hurt your alternator if it was about to die anyway.

See the debate here .
Alternator old wives tales
Read the post where Formerly Steve Wilkinson called ACDelco

[rick-l]

Are you sure you're not seeing the alternator light?

[Joe Bob]

Alts are battery maintainers....NOT battery chargers. YOU WILL fry it with a bad battery.

[rick-l]

Originally posted by mikez
Alts are battery maintainers....NOT battery chargers. YOU WILL fry it with a bad battery.

A discharged battery is not a BAD battery.

[Joe Bob]

A discharged battery is not a good one either. It should be brought up to full charge with an external power source.

[NewbieSC]

Originally posted by rick-l
Are you sure you're not seeing the alternator light?

Definitely not the alternator light. The oil pressure light is above the alternator light.

Rick...what would be the bigger problem with the oil light on when the engine is off?

Cheers,
Newb

[NewbieSC]

Originally posted by NewbieSC
Definitely not the alternator light. The oil pressure light is above the alternator light.

It's the top light with the oil symbol.