lexusdog

iTrader: (1)

I was looking at purchasing a 97 ES 300, when I went to look at it it would not start without a jump box. After getting it started with the jump box it would only run with the jump box on the battery, which leads me to believe that the alternator is most likely bad. The car has been sitting for about six months. When the car did start, none of the electronics inside would work, so the dash lights, power windows, power seats, and the radio wouldn't work. I checked some of the basic fuses and they were all good. The problem is that the electronic mileage would not come up on the dash, so I do not know what the exact mileage is on the car that I am purchasing. Is it possible that since the alternator is bad and the car is running off a jump box it could be why the electronics inside the car or not working? Or is it possible that someone else looking at the car could have done some damage to the electrical system? Is there a chance of actually doing damage to the electrical system on these cars or are they protected due to all of the fuses? Any help would be appreciated, I'm just wondering if this would be a decent deal and if anybody thinks that it might just need an alternator.

Thanks in advance.

hzt30

I would suspect that after sitting for six months the battery would need to be recharged or replaced. Once you are certain that the battery is good then you can check the alternator for functionality.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like a bad battery to me as well. Weak car batteries can create all types of weird issues.

lexusdog

iTrader: (1)

Thanks guys. I was under the impression that the battery's primary role was to start the car and then the car will run off of the alternator. With that said, the car will start on my jump box, but once the jump box is removed the car immediately shuts off. I would think that would be indicative of a bad alternator.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

It's actually the opposite. The battery keeps the car running, but the alternator keeps the battery charged up. You can start and run the car without an alternator, but you can't do that without a battery.

The battery keeps a constant supply of voltage to all the sensors in the computer, that's why it's so crucial to have a healthy battery. If the voltage is low, it throws off the reference circuits that are responsible for telling the computer if everything is running well.

davensd

If your car runs once it's jumped and stays running it's not the alternator. You should check the fuse box or burned out relays.

lexusdog

iTrader: (1)

Good info, I appreciate the post. I didn't know that was the case. So maybe the battery is completely shot and the alternator is still good. That would explain why most of the electronics inside the car are not working.

The motor sounds pretty good and I think the mileage is around 115k. The front flex is leaking so I am trying to decide if it is a good buy or not. I think it can be purchased for around $1000.