Help . . . New Viper Owner, Trouble. :(

[lilviv]

Hey Guys, I need help. I hadn't gotten to drive my Viper for like 3 weeks 'cause of the constant downpours here in the North Texas area. Low and behold, the battery had died. I charged it up a bit and started the car. It sounded like it was "half" firing, like one bank of cylinders was firing. I turned it off, decided to try a fresh start . . . same problem, 'cept now the car would only turn over with the help of the throttle, and it can't say on . . .

The car was fine the last time it had turned on . . . any ideas? Please help, thanks.

 

[GR8_ASP]

Sounds like a low battery. The Viper is very sensitive to voltage. Charge the battery completely. You may end up replacing it as well (the last drain may have been the final drain).

 

[PatentLaw]

I would recommend to just replace it. You have to jack the car up anyway to get at the battery. Eliminate the battery as the potential problem first.

 

[Photog1]

After you get the new battery or current battery fully charged(provided the current battery will hold a charge) buy a Battery Tender. They are only about $60.00 and it will save you this hassle again. You should be able to get it locally from a battery store that is where I got mine but I also found out there are some vendors her that cell them also, like Snake Oil and I think maybe Parts Rack.
Good Luck

 

[ryan94rt10]

battery tenders are on ebay as well, that is where i got mine, and only paid around 40 bucks shipped!!!

 

[Carmaker]

Get a battery tender especially if the car sits for a while.
Here is the site for the one I use.
http://autoaccessconnect.stores.yahoo.net/batepl12vo1a.html

 

[ViperTony]

Hey Guys, I need help. I hadn't gotten to drive my Viper for like 3 weeks 'cause of the constant downpours here in the North Texas area. Low and behold, the battery had died. I charged it up a bit and started the car. It sounded like it was "half" firing, like one bank of cylinders was firing. I turned it off, decided to try a fresh start . . . same problem, 'cept now the car would only turn over with the help of the throttle, and it can't say on . . .

The car was fine the last time it had turned on . . . any ideas? Please help, thanks.

My battery was completely dead when they delivered my car and after jump starting it, it ran the way you described yours. I ended up replacing the battery with a new one and problem disappeared. You'll gain a whole new appreciation for this car once you find out where the battery is on the Viper and how to get to it.

 

[CANTDRIVE55]

Hi,

It seems that once you restart from a dead battery situation, the engine needs to reach operating temp before it will idle correctly. Once there, it will idle nicely thereafter.

Doc

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

$40???

How about $7 and an hour of your time?

http://forums.viperclub.org/showthread.php?t=601618

 

[RedLiner]

Since no one mentioned it, you can charge your battery from the connections under the hood on the drivers side behind the front wheel. You can also jump the battery from there. If you buy a charger, you can attach a plug to the connections to make charging easier. I was told that when the battery runs low or dies, the computer must reset itself (re-learn) and will run funny for a while.

 

[lilviv]

Hey Guys,
Thanks for all the replies. I already had a Battery Tender and swore by it on my Supra when I had so many electronics on it that it actually drew charge super fast. The Viper was fine when I was driving it every other day or so . . . but, I have it on the Battery Tender right now, will give it a go tomorrow after it fully cycles, but will probably replace the battery, as well. What batteries do you guys use? Think an Optima Yellow Top will be fine? Speaking of which . . . where is this wretched battery? =P

 

[CROM]

Its behind an access panel in the drivers side rear wheel well. Yes, you have to remove the wheel to get to the battery.

 

[lilviv]

Its behind an access panel in the drivers side rear wheel well. Yes, you have to remove the wheel to get to the battery.

Wow, OK . . . now, this may be stupid . . .

1) But does anyone have a procedure or FAQ that shows how to deinstall and reinstall a new battery? (If not, I'll set one up with pics. to help stupid sirs like me. )

2) What kind of battery is recommended for the car? Would an Optima Yellow Top be a fair choice for this car?

Thanks in advance for the help, guys.

 

[trainville]

If the battery went completely dead before charging, it might be........ you need to unlock the car with the key fob. The car automatically "locks" itself when you put in a new battery or have run one totally dead. Sounds like the fuel cutoff will let the car start, but it will immediately die. Had it happen to me on my '95. Kinda weird because the alarm wasn't sounding, but an unlock on the fob was necessary nonetheless.

Like all the previous posts, put in a new battery and install a battery tender.

 

[George Farris]

What kind of battery?? I got one from Walmart for my last Viper - had it over 4 years before selling the car - no problems.

The W-M battey looked just like the factory battery.

 

[CROM]

One time I didn't completely shut my rear hatch, and after 5 days, the hatch light killed my battery. I charged it fully for 24 hours and was able to drive the following day BUT the following weekend it was completely dead again. I had to replace it in less than an hour as I was going on a road trip. I used an 85 dollar Advance Autoparts battery that has much better numbers than the stock Mopar unit and is working fine.

 

[George Murray]

George Farris buys his batteries at Wal-Mart because they give him free **** oil and Spongebob air fresheners with every purchase.

 

[George Farris]

George Farris buys his batteries at Wal-Mart because they give him free **** oil and Spongebob air fresheners with every purchase.

Don't tell everybody ...

 

[lilviv]

OK, guys . . . an update. I attached the permanent connections for the Battery Tender to the area under the hood on the driver's side. I can now conveniently connect and disconnect it when parked by pulling it through that vent.

Now, I had the car on a Battery Tender for 3 days, it took that long to get the green light, a healthy battery. Then, the car started up just fine, but it ran really funny for the first 10 miles or so . . . car would die when I let off throttle, and then the tachometer would show zero or a 2 to 3 hundred RPM idle. It ran pretty well, though.

I will keep an eye on it, and I still probably will end up replacing the battery with a Yellow Top when I buy a low profile jack and confirm that Yellow Top will fit the Viper Form Factor.

Thanks for all the help guys, learning a lot from y'all.

 

[got one]

quick solution...drive it more...if your driveway is dry...start it up, pull it out and let it run.

 

[lilviv]

After I let the Battery Tender nurse that battery back to health . . . the battery never gave me trouble again. Stayed healthy for the next 4.5 years until I sold the car. Love these Battery Tenders!

On a side note, I had the battery tender fail once a year or two ago . . . and, they happily sent me a new one under warranty even without a receipt (just based on the date of manufacture on the bottom). Great service!

 

[jdeft1]

Jeez, after 4.5 years... TX for the update.
My battery tender is mounted to my drivers side footwell. So far so good.....

cheers!

 

[bluegrassvet1]

Since no one mentioned it, you can charge your battery from the connections under the hood on the drivers side behind the front wheel. You can also jump the battery from there. If you buy a charger, you can attach a plug to the connections to make charging easier. I was told that when the battery runs low or dies, the computer must reset itself (re-learn) and will run funny for a while.

Does anyone have a pic of the terminal location that you are speaking of behind the driver's front wheel?

 

[Knight Viper]

They they are a little pricey but with the 'electronic issues' a Viper can have I run the Odyssey not the optima and love it. Best of both worlds cold cranking amps and deep cycle. plus no acid splash that you can get from a conventional battery.

 

[LifeIsGood]

Here's a picture of how I hooked up my battery tender (it includes the positive terminal, it's under the red protective cover)...

You must be registered for see images

 

[Detlef]

LifeIsGood's picture are just like my setup. Works great and you don't need to open the hood to dis/connect it.

 

[lilviv]

That picture is exactly like the setup I used. It worked very well, and I never had to do that dreaded battery replacement.

 

[hyph]

Got a spare interstate megatron battery you can have. I'm in McKinney.