Jeep wont start

[laneiac]

Just finished our move to Vegas a couple of weeks ago, and the Jeep has been sitting. Went out to start it today and nothing. Hooked the car up to it for a jump and it fired right up. Turned it off, and nothing, although the dome light and headlights will work. Jumped it a second time and let it run for about twenty minutes thinking it just needed a charge, but as soon as I turned it off, I could not restart it, wont even turn over. Is the battery toast or is it the alternator?

What do you think before I yank the alternator off for testing?

Jeep has a two or three year old Optima red top battery

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Sounds like a bad battery. I'd ensure the terminals and posts are very clean, and throw a charger on it for a while. Be easier to remove the battery to have it tested.

 

[LVRockCrawler]

welcome to the valley! this place does eat batteries if not taken care of .... where'd you move from? summers are fun here! get the battery tested (autozone.. free...) the alternator is more for maintaining than charging so if the battery is completely dead it wont charge it in 20 min - it sounds like the battery wont work on load although the lights work... prob nothing helpful but just wanted to say hey to the new neighbor!

 

[drag0n]

best bet is to take it to autozone and have them test the battery... try this, when it is running, unhook the battery, if the jeep still runs, the alternator is good and the battery needs replacing, if it dies, the battery is good and the alternator is bad...

 

[joejeepny]

Optima's suck. Get a diehard. You will thank me later. Sure you can't mount it upside down but batteries are link engines. the more cc's of metal and wet acid the better. I leave my Jeep in below zero weather for weeks and I dont even question wether it will start or not. Of course it will its a diehard.