Gremlins are starting to pop up over the last month and considering I still have the original battery in my '07...its time. I started this thread as my gremlins are somewhat different than other issues in the numerous 'battery' threads. I'm assuming a new battery will fix the issues though, because even though they are different, they seem related, or maybe its just wishful thinking on my part.

1) Preset radio channel switches to another channel every few seconds. This has been happening for the past month.
2) 'light out' warning light is on intermittently. When I check the lights, the side makers on the drivers side are on, but half the brightness of the side markers on the passenger side. No lights are burnt out. When I turn the car off and back on, the warning light goes out for 5 minutes or so and comes back on. Light came on for the first time yesterday.
3) Engine shuddered and stalled but caught itself and continued running normally while sitting at a red light. This happened yesterday. Never did this before.

I'll update this weekend after a new battery.

 

Well, let's hope it is the battery...sure seems to be a voltage or amperage problem....That studder could be the early stages of a CPS problem...time will tell...

 

That's what worries me. Its a garage kept car that see's spirited driving but not abused. Rarely sees rain. But at least I know how to fix it because of this forum! Woohoo!

 

Does sound odd. However I would think the car wouldn't start again if the battery were that weak. Could also be a intermittent ground problem or corrision at thebattery terminals. For starters check your ground connection at the battery where it grounds out to the sheet metal.

 

I just put in an Interstate MTP48H6. Yes, I agree on the ground connections. These little cars are very sensitive to amp spikes, or low voltage... They will cause all kinds of gremlins...

 

Thanks for the tip on grounding. I replaced my battery last year and have had intermittent issues recently that seem to indicate a power issue. Occasionally when I start the car, the radio turns on and the station is set to the #1 FM preset. I never leave the radio on when I shut off the car. And my TPMS indicator is once again telling me a have a tire pressure problem. Funny thing is that this issue disappeared when I replaced the battery last year, but since it has gotten cold again, the light is back on.

 

Simple fix, put some air in the tires.

 

Stop it, stop it 180 (ok don't)... Your KILLING MEEEEEEEE!


Seriousely, a bad ground in the strangest place can wreck havoc on todays (THIS) car...

 

Not sure how that will fix my radio problem, but it's worth a try.

The tire pressures have been checked and rechecked. I just found it interesting that my TPMS issue (and phantom radio turn-on) disappeared when I installed a new battery and then reappeared a year later.

 

When a tire pressure is a bit low and there is a drop in temperature the reduced volume of air in the tire and hence lower pressure, can trigger the TPM sensor in that wheel to trigger an alarm. The light may go out when the tire warms up.

You did say the light came on when it got colder again and that is why I made the comment.

My light came on two weeks ago and I topped them up, a week later it came on again when it was colder still. So I topped up again, after doing the last tire I realized that the gage markings were in 1lb increments, and what I thought was 36 psi was actually only 33 psi. A senior or Homer Simpson DOH! moment.
The old pressure gage which suddenly failed and was tossed a month or so ago had 2 psi increments and the new one was 1 psi. That's why the light was triggered so easily.

 

TPMS sensors have lithium batteries that die too. The TPMS sensors may start to work when the tires and batteries warm up on a cold day. They will completely die in a few months.

I'm in PA and still have my original Varta battery with no gremlins in my daily driver. The car was built in January 2004. Any one think I can make it through January with a 9 year old battery? I'm not optimistic, but am going to give it a try.

 

That battery is great. I replaced mine before the gremlins. Both batterys are being used on farm equipment right now. They don't have the needed cranking amps to start anything but have enough to run hydraulic motors for dump carts...

 

Why wait, what will it prove? It will fail when you least expect it and you need to be somewhere, or worse yet, it will fail away from home. Now is the time to find the battery and replace it at your convenience. Also hope that when it does fail, it won't take the alternator out with it.

James

 

Just another note to this.. mine didn't display any gremilns , but I had noted it seemed to take an extra half second or so to fire off after hitting the starter.. call me crazy if thats odd for me to notice.. but about two weeks of this and she gave up having enough juice to crank over. Started fine that morning .. 40 minute drive without lights or anything going to work.. stopped in for coffee and that was it. Seems there's no grey area warning.. slow crank or otherwise..

 

James, you have convinced me to get it replaced. Not because I am worried about damaging the alternator, but because I have a few of winter fishing trips planned. I would hate to get up at 3 AM for a two hour drive to NJ and not have it start.

As an electrical engineer that spent a few years working for Ford, I'm not sure there is a scenario that a bad battery could damage the alternator.

 

As a non-engineer that owns a Ford ( well, kinda - a 1989 Probe LS ), I had the battery and alternator go out together on a trip. Not sure which one did the other one in .....

 

You probably already had a bad battery when the alternator went, or a mechanic that sold you a bill of goods. If you are not near home they will to pile it on. Did they hit you up for battery cables too?

The only way I can think that a battery could take out an alternator is if the battery shorted out. If that happened, the battery would explode and pretty much destroy the car.