EDIT: Please skip to the last paragraph, as the first part of the problem's been solved....
Ok guys, here's the story. I'll give you some background, first, and then we'll move to today's problem:
Right around the first of the year I had to have the Intake Manifold replaced, threw in a new Thermostat, just for the hell of it. Everything's worked fine for a while, save a few minor problems.....lower than usual coolant about a week ago (no signs of leaking, none on the ground anywhere where I park, refilled, seems to be fine) got an oil change (just the usual 3,000 mile one) about a month ago, and yesterday I replaced the door locking relay. Unresolved problems include a passenger window that sometimes doesn't go down (my guess is a blown fuse/circuit breaker for the window in the passenger door) and a burned out fog light. Other than that, nothing much....until today.
So I go into Wal-Mart (laugh it up, gentleman, there's
always low prices there
and come out about an hour later to my car clicking when I try and start it. Dead battery, right? Except, all lights and the radio, etc., still work......I have it jumped, get it running, drive home with the car running fine. I did notice, however, that it felt like it was shifting a little slow....couldn't really recreate this much, but it felt like when it shifted up a grear the tachometer wouldn't go down at a regular pace. Got home, maybe, 15 minutes of the car running, so I shut it off. When I tried to turn it back on (immidiately), no luck, same constant clicking.
Now, what do we think, a battery? An alternator? Something worse
Any ideas as to how much the cost for each (including labor, and not on the battery of course :P) would be greatly appreciated.
EDIT STARTS HERE: Ok, well, obviously (wow I feel stupid
) it was the battery, but now there's another problem. It seems, as I'd briefly mentioned before, that now when the car is shifting between first and second gears (possibly others, most notably first and second gears) it holds for a second (a bit of "lag," if you will). I have been told in the past that when you remove a battery/if the battery is dead that it may take some time for your car, or perhaps its computer to reset itself. Anyone have any thoughts on this or any ideas as to what may be wrong? Any way to manually reset this? Stupid questions I'm sure, but I thought I'd ask.
Thanks again, hopefully this question doesn't make me feel as stupid as the last one did
~Alex
2001 Oldsmobile Alero
3.4 L V6
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