2002 Saturn Vue keeps going dead
Asked by Dawn Jan 13, 2015 at 09:36 AM about the 2002 Saturn VUE V6 AWD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
I have a 2002 Saturn Vue. I have to keep getting "jumps" for it bc when I wake up in the
mornings it won't crank. I go to work and it is parked for at least 6 hours and it cranks with
no problem at the end of the work day. The radio, lights and all electrical work but the car
won't crank. Any advice as to what this could be? Thanks in advance!
3 Answers
Paw_fordman answered 9 years ago
Does it try to crank....ie Grunt, click, turn slowly? In all likely hood, there is a drain sapping the battery. Check glove box light, dome etc and make sure nothing is staying on and draining the battery. Another thing, is if the alternator has a blown diode, it might still charge but will allow current to backflow draining the battery in a short while.
Can you advise as to how I could check to see if that part on my alternator is bad? Can that be done at Advance Auto?
Paw_fordman answered 9 years ago
They can test it, and if they know what theyre doing can spot it. They will test that its charging, but with the diode blown, they will need to be able to determine if the wave form that should be DC current shows a ripple in it, meaning its being converted from AC current to the DC current, which is the job of the diodes. Ask them if they can tell if the rectifier/diodes are bad.
