Went to start my car - dead - the lights inside work - this happened once before checked the battery it is good and cleaned the battery post and cables and it worked fine- could it be the altinator?

Clean the battery terminals and battery post , check battery is fully charged.

My first guess would be a dead cell inside the battery, or a blown fuseable link between the battery and the fuse box.
Someone would need to check the battery connections and fuse box with a meter.

Sounds like the battery is completely dead. It's either a faulty battery(go and have it checked) or a dead alternator. To check if the alternator is bad, once the car is started, remove the negative battery cable, if it stays on, then the alternator is good, if it dies immediately, then the alternator is bad and needs replacement.

Make sure all connections are clean and tight, belt is good and have alternator (charging circuits) checked. Sounds like alternator may be defective.

Take the connectors off clean them with a terminal cleaner or a Brillo pad put back on tighten see if that works.

possibly a parasitic drain issue. Have you installed an after-market stereo in the vehicle recently? If so that could be the cause, if not. check things like the trunk light or hood light (if you have one) or anything not so obvious that might not be turning off.

Hi
It sounds like you need a new battery, the battery may work the radio but wont have enough power to keep the car going,

Alternatively the altenator may not be charging the battery so that could be the fault.

Lastly check the battery connection from the battery to the car body and the wire leading to the altenator and ensure they all have good tight contact.

A loose earth/ground wire can cause this
Regards
Dan

Sounds like the ground wire for the battery is not making clean contact. Trace that wire and clean both ends and the area it connects to the engine block. Good luck!

Had similar problem, went to dealer told battery posts were dirty and loose. Battery was checked and said to be fine. Posts were cleaned and tightened. Next day on way home from work car died. Got a boost from a freind and made it home took out battery went to Autozone and found out battery no good!!!!!!!!!!!! Change your battery that may be the problem.

Whenever a car has this type of a problem, it is normally because of poor connections, belt slippage *severe*, or - very possibly, something is putting an excessive drain on the battery when it is not running.

My experiences have been to first check that ALL the connections are totally clean - especially check your battery posts and make sure they are tight with very good - surface-to-surface contact. Remove BOTH connectors on the posts and clean with battery post cleaning tool *wire brush* and then use the spray that stops / limits corrosion.

Are you sure that battery IS OK? Take it in for a load test - old batteries often deteriorate over time *sealed or not* and it just might be time for a new one. Get the biggest 1 that will fit in where it is held. More amperage *rating* is always better.

Poor connections often happen during cold weather season *expansion and contraction cause this*.

BAck to connections again - VISUALLY inspect ALL your cables/wires for discoloration. Connections need to be tight - end-to-end in the charging system. I am not sure if the car has a starting relay or not - and if so - where it IS located. THAT TOO is a problematic area due to poor connections that quite often, just may need to be cleaned.

Are you sure your alternator IS good --- are it's belt nice and tight- but not too tight? Speaking of the belt ... look on the inside track of the belt - has it been replaced recently or is the rubber in poor shape *splits, showing sign of extreme heat from slipping etc*. When you have a load test - that test alone will indicate whether it IS charging even if everything is running like A/C, radio, light, wipers. Check you gauge inside the car - IF it has one - and no matter what RPM ~ it should still be charging *showing positive charging - NOT discharging*. Lastly - the alternator OUTPUT -- is it the right one for that car - correct rating???

There are even more areas worthwhile checking ... but unless you have the correct tools and diagnostic equipment - it can be tough to nail-down the right specific problem. A lot of places *like Sears* will have that - and used to not charge for the diagnostic - because they wanted to sell you THEIR battery.

One more thing .... most cars will have some minor drain due to clocks running, alarm working and so on. HOWEVER - if a light *like an interior or truck light* remains on, that will give you a larger drain.

A battery should never go dead while driving - and your light *running lights* should always be bright .. are yours??????

Hope this helps!