car died in driveway

[chefster]

got in ,turned it over and started was clickin,put on 75amp starter charger snd started it up, unplugged charger ,30 seconds later it dies,tried to turn it over and no click at all...but have power to evrything..whats up?

 

[HISSIN50]

Check, wiggle and recheck the battery terminals/connections.

If good, make sure the battery is fully charged and can deep cycle.

Good luck.

 

[chefster]

Ya had to take wifes focus to work,I will check everything out tomorrow when I have some time..when I hooked up the charger it started again then died after a minute...ICAN DO THIS.

 

[HISSIN50]

Sounds like a bad battery terminal connection. Been there and done that.

Good luck.

Oh, if it makes you feel better, I went to start the 94 earlier (after not having done so in a bit) and it wouldnt turn over fast enough to catch. I pumped it with 75 amps for about 20 seconds and it started and ran errands alright. But now the charger is getting pretty hot (at the 10 amps scale) and the battery is still suckin about 5 amps. Heat takes out batteries here and mine might be on the outs (that's the deep cycle part I mentioned. It wont take a deep charge).

Good luck.

 

[94-302-vert]

Ultimately though it could be the alternator (or alternator wiring) that killed the battery too...

charge the battery, then jump start the car, then using a multimeter see if the alternator is charging the battery or not...

 

[chefster]

I'm on it

 

[chefster]

ok, bought new battery it reads 12.52 on the voltmeter. I took off my alt and the shop said it checks out ok? But when I put it back on and started the car it reads 12.14. When I rev the rpms the alt tops out at 14.15. then dives back to 12.14 at idle . Turn off car power is back at 12.47. So,I start off to work with new battery and alt performing as I mentioned and the car hesitates as I accelerate. I WENT THROUGH ALL MY MAJOR CONNECTIONS. I tend to think the alt is not up to snuff. So i drove my 62 chev pickup to work.Totally not legal.

 

[HISSIN50]

Looks like Chris hit the nail on the head.

I agree - it sounds like your alternator is not up to par at low RPM - or whenever the output shows less than battery voltage.

Are the wires off the alternator in OK shape? Mine were vulcanized - the insulation had fallen off and bare wires were next to eachother. If the switch or sense wires were compromised, it could affect the output, as could a bad alt itself.

I might take the alternator elsewhere for another test. I've seen one place test one and pass it while another shop/store will see if fail the test.

Good luck.

 

[chefster]

ya that baby is comin back off this morning

 

[Wi Stang]

Could it just be with the underdrive pulleys, and the stock alternator that it just doesn't spin fast enough at idle to create any type of charge?
When I had underdrive pulleys on, the volt meter in the car would drop quite a bit when I was at idle, but I never did check the actual voltage off the alternator at that point.

 

[94-302-vert]

I dunno about the underdrives causing the prob... On my car I killed the battery a couple times and with a quick jump (no chargint time) the car will start and keep runing for a while. Once it was started it ran about 25 mintues and the car battery was DEAD before the jump start.


Underdrives will cause alternator failures though...

 

[chefster]

ya ok located another alternator for 45 bucks and slapped it on,it does not have the larger pully on it ...its reading 14.65 at idle verses the 12.15 on the one that was giving me trouble. My conclusion is that ; underdrives do just that,underdrive.. and if something is going bad it will cross the threshhold of toast sooner...such was my case. The alt has very little drag anyways so I see no need to put the underdrive onto the new/used alternator. Oh, by the way, the stang is rockin again..looking forwaed to the drive to work. Thank You STANG MEMBERS...you were right Hissin!