Battery not charging/not starting/car shutting off ... help...

[ridezx6r]

So I bought this 1992 LX 5.0 recently and after I bought it it sat for about 4-5 days and then I went to start it and battery was dead (presumably). I jumped it and drove it for a bit (30-45 mins), and then returned home. Went to start it the next morning and the same thing, the dome light in the car would come on, but it would be more dim than normal and the car wouldn't start.
Today I needed to swap wheels so I jumped the car and drove it to a friends place and let it idle til he got there, then we swapped wheels (took 15 mins) and I tried to start the car and it started fine. Started to drive home and stopped for a drink (5 mins) started up again fine.
Then I stopped at work and let it sit for about 5 mins again, fired right up again but this time as I was pulling out (giving it gas, rolling in first with the clutch all the way out, doing about 15 mph), the car totally died, the headlights. dash lights and engine all shut off, leaving me to limp it to a parking space.
Tried jumping it again but now that doesn't even work. I was thinking it was the battery originally, but now it seems like its something, else... because I'd assume the car would still run with a dead battery if the motor was spinning under power as I was pulling out, right?

What do you guys think?

Thanks in advance!

 

[83T-top]

Have you had the alternater tested yet? Probably the first place I'd start. You can either take it in, or the way I usually do it is get the car started again if possible then take the positive cable off the battery. If it dies the alternator is bad. Once the car gets started it runs off the alternator, but if the alternator isn't charging the battery while it's running then you'll use all the juice from the battery until the battery is dead. Not the greatest with electrical and from what you've described it's probably an electrical issue. At first I thought maybe your starter was going out but after you said it died while you was going down the road that kinda ruled that out. Maybe someone else will have a better idea, but I'd check the alternator.

 

[ridezx6r]

Yeah I'm thinking it might be the alt or the cables somewhere.
I haven't checked either yet tho.
I'll have to look into it.

 

[HISSIN50]

When you jumped it, were the jumpers connected to the battery posts or the battery cables? If the latter, and you have a bad battery cable connection, the jumper battery can't help you.

I'd charge things up, renew cables and connections and do a parasitic draw test.

Good luck.

 

[old_blue]

might just need to clean the connections. Mine did that once. I used a wire brush and cleaned up the connections and it fired right up. same battery after 2 yrs.

 

[Boostedpimp]

I'd put my money on the alternator being bad... and to be sure i'd bring the battery up to a local parts store and have it tested. If it's ok then charge that sucker up, install it and drive the car back home, yank the alt out and take that to get tested. It'll fail, then you purchase and install new and your done.

The cables may need some cleaning but if dirty cables was the issue at the battery why would the car just dye while driving it? I don't believe it would which leads me to the alt not chargering the battery resulting in the battery getting drained