by Phoenix, March 24, 2008
i hav a 89 rolla le and this morning it wouldnt turn over so i poped the hood and had a redish cranberry looking fluid on my battery and it just wouldnt turn over no matter what i would do before i had a problem were it wouldnt turn over cuz the one cable is loose what could this be please help because this is my dd
Need a bit more information. Depends on where the reddish colored fluid was at - was it around the battery vents on top or just around the cables/terminals on the battery. Any idea how old the battery in the car is? When you say turn over - does it make any clicking noise when you attempt to start it? Interior lights work? Does any of the gauges register - move when you turn the key?
Reddish fluid could be normal - especially if you had the car serviced recently (some shops will spray a corrosion preventative on the terminals) - battery eletrolyte is generally colorless. If the battery is weak - did you try jumping the car and see if it will start? If it starts just fine with a jump, could just be a bad battery - replace it and you should be OK. Poor connections between the battery terminals and battery can cause all kinds of problems. Some with a poor connection to the starter itself.
Bikeman982
You should probably check under the hood a little more frequently, then you would know if something looks unusual.
The red is probably what they used last time the car was serviced - it is supposed to reduce corossion on the battery terminals.
If the terminal is loose - try tightening it up. Get a good battery charger.
Charge the battery up to full charge and then your car should start fine.
Hope this helps.
