So I installed my AVIC-Z2 and was leaving it running ripping CD's without the engine on. It made a weird sound after I started it up like a starter going bad. It was like a clicking/zapping sound. I had a friend push my up his driveway. I rolled back down and started it up. I got home and it cranked fine a few times. Then ( and I know this was stupid ) I left a CD in there to burn and let the XM configure while I was taking a shower. Came back out, same deal. What does this sound like?

 

well it sounds like the battery is only
holding a surface charge, for some reason.

 

Gee, what do you think that reason could be?

You need to drive the car for a longer time, recharging the battery all the way.
Does the battery gauge (if you have it) show anything unusual? Mine is usually just to the right of halfway between L & H (whatever those letters mean).

 

you know, i read something interesting in
the workshop manual....you can fully
charge your battery, if you drive it for 2 hours.

you just have to keep the rpms over 1500 or
there abouts....


i'll stick to the battery charger in the garage method

 

Here is the odd thing - The headunit and lights will still work but the car will not crank. If the battery was going bad, would the headunit not also malfunction?

 

the battery is low and doesn't have the power to crank over the engine but it does have the power to light your stereo (it takes alot of power to crank over the engine a few hundred amps possibility)

ether jump start it or leave it on a charger over night
if you jump it then drive with A/C and stereo off for at least 30min-2hours

all cars are like this and most anyone who works on cars will tell you after you jumpstart to keep it running with minimal loadtill the battery is recharged

so stop ripping CD's while its not running

 

Haha. Sorry - couldn't help myself. Could the fact that it was unplugged for a long period of time make the charge go out of it?

 

once in my t-bird when the battery was dead you could listen to the stereo and all the lights worked but dimmly
left it on a charger over night and it cranked over as normal

 

what was unplugged?

 

The battery - didn't want to get zapped while messing with all those wires doing the headunit.