Bought my 03 new and always thought that it turned over slower than other cars I have now and have owned in the past. The last couple months the headlights dim slightly when braking or using the heater, ect. Was really cold out a couple mornings last week and it really turned over slow. I took to Advance and had the battery and alternator tested. The tester said that both checked out ok, but the battery was low. Any ideas to check on?

 

It sounds like a weak battery to me, the issue increasing with cold may indicate that you have a low CCA (Cold Cranking Amps, I believe that's what it is called and stands for but my brain is fried right now...) rating on the battery or an old/weak battery. Is it sealed or does it need water?

 

that 4 cyl. does turn slightly slower than it's v6 version for some reason. even with a new battery.

did they load test teh battery or just resistance check it?

load testing the battery takes at least 30 seonds btw.

 

Not sure what he did. He rolled a machine up to the car and hooked up to it.
I may try AutoZone for the heck of it.
Really slow this morning. I didn't think it was going to start.

I notice at night that the lights dim when simply applying the brake too.

 

that sounds like a weak battery or alternator.... I'm leaning more towards the battery not taking/holding a charge like it should since your dimming lights issue accompanies a slow start issue.

 

I think I'll let AutoZone test the alternator and battery and see if they think that they both are ok. I notice my headlights dim for an instant when braking and or some other power usage.

 

when that happens thats usually indicative of a low battery. I had that problem not too long ago, I had one of those O'reilly SuperStart sealed maintenance free batteries and it turned out to be a piece of Poo. the 2 best batteries for the money would be either a DieHard or Autocraft Silver/Titanium.

watch the language...

 

diehard tends to cause corrosion on the battery terminals though in my experience.


also, most vehicles i work on have a momentary dim in the headlights when you hit the brakes or use the power windows(causea load). it's normal. a larger battery my partially eliminate it but it's still a characteristic.