electrical / starting gremlins

HISSIN50 · Nov 19, 2007

You can use your DMM to check the voltage in each cell's electrolyte. It should be approx 2.1 volts/cell.
You can also use a specific gravity tester/hydrometer to check each cell.

jmd2914 · Nov 20, 2007

ok so uppon futher reading ive found that i dont have the extra ground wire that you are supposed to have with a 3g. the one going from the block to the chasis ground where the battery pigtail ground connects. could this be the culprit? and does anyone have a picture of this ground so i know where to connect it?

HISSIN50 · Nov 20, 2007

You don't *need* the extra ground for the charging system to function properly. It's just real nice to have and optimizes the potential of the system.

A bad motor ground could affect the starter's function however.
Jrichker might have a picture somewhere of the extra ground. I did a motor to chassis ground but it was in a different location.

Good luck.

jmd2914 · Nov 20, 2007

alright, ill add the ground just to be sure, would a bad voltage regulator in the alt be a possible cause? and would this show up when i had it load tested?

jrichker · Nov 20, 2007

The picture shows the common ground point for the battery & alternator

Picture courtesy timewarped1972

Extra grounds are like the reserve parachute for a sky diver.
If the main one fails, there is always your reserve.

jmd2914 · Nov 20, 2007

alright and it can go from there to where i ground the battery to the block? also i dont know if there is a drain on my battery or not cuz i checked the voltage last night 11.9v and i checked it tonight when i got off work and it was 11.8v. so this leads me to beleive i dont have a draw on the electrical i have a charging problem. im running myself in circles.......

jmd2914 · Nov 21, 2007

also, would getting an overdrive pully fix the problem? or would it just in essence ( sp??) be a bandaid for something that is going to come back up later

skunk21 · Nov 21, 2007

how do you have a charging problem , the alt is pushing out all it can. 13-14 is good, the volt regulator will stop it around there more than that and it will cook the battery. we can't help you anymore until make absolutey sure that battery isn't junk, new or not, or check fuse panel for an open circuit causing a draw. those are the problems battery....or......draw on battery. check circuits that should be off, like dome lights, trunk lights even though a bulb might not be in them the circuit could be open, stuff like that. I wish you luck but you gotta get in that direction, I think you might have too much faith in your new battery or the tester, I don't know I'm not right there to look at it either , but from the sounds of it from the numbers you gave it isn't the charging system.

mustangmike6996 · Nov 21, 2007

check the voltage drop on the negative side and on the positive side make sure there is no more than a few tenths of a volt lost. if there is more then there is excessive resistance (corrosion) somewhere in the circuit

jmd2914 · Nov 21, 2007

alright. i think i just got myself alittle turned around. i'll buy another battery and have them test it before i buy it and start there.

jmd2914 · Nov 23, 2007

hello all. turned out my cap and rotor were shot which explained the intermitent starting issues. there was a ginofferous chunk of corrosion inside the wire going from my coil to my cap. replaced cap and rotor and cleaned out the wire. everything seems to be functioning fine. thanks for all the help everyone even if i did confused acouple of you and run myself in circles lol

HISSIN50 · Nov 23, 2007

jmd2914 said:
hello all. turned out my cap and rotor were shot which explained the intermitent starting issues. there was a ginofferous chunk of corrosion inside the wire going from my coil to my cap. replaced cap and rotor and cleaned out the wire. everything seems to be functioning fine. thanks for all the help everyone even if i did confused acouple of you and run myself in circles lol

FWIW, a bad cap or rotor should not affect the speed at which your engine cranks over (as was your original issue - slow cranking and then two cranks and humming).

I only mention this because your issue might return - don't get stranded.

jmd2914 · Nov 24, 2007

that is a good point.

jmd2914 · Nov 25, 2007

well you were right the problem is back. the car starts easier with the new cap and rotor but something is still draining my battery.

HISSIN50 · Nov 25, 2007

Did that battery ever get tested?
Again, it seems like you charge just fine so the alternator is not where I'd look. That leaves the battery, the battery cables and the starter itself. I didnt re-read this to see which of those items has been replaced or tested.

If you think it's a cable issue and you have jumpers, you can use the jumpers to parallel a given cable. If the car cranked slow before the jumper but not after, the cable you paralleled is deficient. Replace it.

Good luck.

jmd2914 · Nov 26, 2007

thanks, ill try that. the battery got tested and they said it was fine, just dead. although now that i bought a charger ill take it back and have them test it while its fully charged i dunno if that makes a differance or not. ill also check the starter however im not sure if that would have anything to do with it because my battery keeps getting drained by something.

skunk21 · Nov 26, 2007

how the heck does a dead battery test fine and a new one to boot .

a new battery that went dead in a car with an alt that is charging fine = draw of some sort or baaaaaaaaaad battery. if no draw then junk that battery, the people who load tested a dead battery at sent you on your way = .

HISSIN50 · Nov 26, 2007

Agreed. Around here no one will even test a battery unless it's at about 12.5 volts or above. Otherwise you have to let them charge it to prove it has a bad cell or whatever else. Then they give you a new one once they see that it crapped itself.

skunk21 · Nov 27, 2007

HISSIN50 said:
Agreed. Around here no one will even test a battery unless it's at about 12.5 volts or above. Otherwise you have to let them charge it to prove it has a bad cell or whatever else. Then they give you a new one once they see that it crapped itself.

thank you! this what I have been trying say all along.

jmd2914 you need to do this if want to stop running around in circles has you put it. the person who tested a dead battery you don't want that person again. try another battery, we already figured out for you that your alt is working, so your battery is getting proper charge, most draws that I have seen really draw down battery to the point it is almost dead although it still could be a cause if it's a small draw, it sounds like you might not have the backgroung needed to find the draw though..I'm going towards your battery, it is junk, bad cell, not holding the charge from the alt.

jmd2914 · Nov 29, 2007

ok thanks guys, i know im being a pain in the a$$. ill be replacing my battery tomorrow and will post back with results

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