Alright so my dad and I were trying to start his car that had been sitting for a while. Well I try to jump it with my car, when I turn the key in his car it cranks over twice and then my car dies and has no power. I run to my friends house in my moms car and get his jumperbox(should have done this in the first place.) I come home jump my car and everything is fine. Well later in the day after the car was parked for a while I get in and try to start it. It had full voltage. I turn the key it starts and almost instantly dies. This has happened the last 3 out of 5 times I have tried to start it. After it stays running its fine, holds voltage, runs great, and everything seems normal. Please tell me i didnt screw up my computer.

 

I really need help here, car died today and lost all power when i was driving.

 

Just a shot sounds like a bad battery

 

But it starts, and after it starts it dies, if it was a bad battery wouldnt it just not start. Also with a dead battery wouldnt it stay running when driveing because of the alternator?

 

Ok maby I just read your first post wrong. So lemme see if i can recap. You had to jump it, so the battery must have been dead. It only spun over twice when you jumped it with a car so you had to get a better power source.

Elaborate on this part,

"turn the key it starts and almost instantly dies. This has happened the last 3 out of 5 times I have tried to start it. After it stays running its fine, holds voltage, runs great, and everything seems normal."

This is confusing.

 

Ok, I went to jump my dads car with mine. My car was running and his was dead. I let it charge and try to start his car, after his car cranks over it killed my car. After this happened neither of the cars would start, neither had any power at all. Now when i go to start my car i turn the key and it has full power. When i try to start it, it starts but then after the initial rev it dies.

 

I had something like this on my dads Honda. I changed battery and it helped for first day.. then i changed alternator... and it fix the problem.. So i think it is alternator or battery! buy alternator from AutoZone.. and if it didn't fix the problem just bring it back!
Oh! And same problem was with my camaro... alternator! or bettery
Good luck!

 

So no one thinks its a computer problem?

 

I can not say for every one... but soundes like it's not computer! Just buy a book from Auto Zone or what ever... There is trouble shooting... step by step
And start from easy things.. bettery.. alternator...
Good luck!

 

Ok i will check that out. anything else it could be.

 

I'd bet large sums of money that it's not a computer problem. You could draw a million amps from that battery and your computer would be fine. Sure, it'd be like your battery dieing, but the computer won't die from low voltage.

 

So what is your guess Demus?

 

Well, I'm gonna need a little more information. Like, how does it die? Do the lights and everything go out? Or does just the ignition die? My guess is that the alternator is on its very last legs and the battery hasn't been fully charged or is also on its last legs. When your dad's car drawed the large amount of amps the alternator tried to pick up the slack and something broke. Take both the battery and alternator in to get tested and charged. You're wasting your time if you only get the battery replaced/charged, because it will probably only fix the problem temporarily.

 

everything dies and i mean everything. After you let the car sit a while it will have power again.

 

guys its getting worse, died 4 times in a 5 mile drive, but now its starting ok.