electrical / starting gremlins
- Thread starter jmd2914
- Start date
I would look for a bad battery connection or a failing battery.
It could be the starter too. I just picked up a POS that sat for a year and the starter is toast (and the battery was sulfated - I'm trying to bring it back). Even with a different battery and a running jumper battery, it would crank at 2 RPM a few times and then do nothing.
I'd clean the terminals, replace cables if needed and then make it act up (keep starting it till it does). Then put a jumper battery on and see how it does. Or add a motor ground and see how it does. You should be able to eventually isolate what the issue is by changing one variable.
If needed, get the battery load tested.
Good luck.
It could be the starter too. I just picked up a POS that sat for a year and the starter is toast (and the battery was sulfated - I'm trying to bring it back). Even with a different battery and a running jumper battery, it would crank at 2 RPM a few times and then do nothing.
I'd clean the terminals, replace cables if needed and then make it act up (keep starting it till it does). Then put a jumper battery on and see how it does. Or add a motor ground and see how it does. You should be able to eventually isolate what the issue is by changing one variable.
If needed, get the battery load tested.
Good luck.
skunk21
Active Member
have the battery load tested(could be shelf bad) or your charging system checked. sounds like the starter is getting what is called "low volt start" or the starter is getting low voltage causing it to turn over slow, in time this will kill a starter.
most of the time it's caused by poor or loose connections, corroded wires but since you just replaced the wires check those connections, especially by the starter. sometimes you can see arcing or smoke by the starter if someone else is turning it over if the connection is loose. also a bad battery, a battery that is to small or doesn't have enough cranking amps, bad starter motor.
most of the time it's caused by poor or loose connections, corroded wires but since you just replaced the wires check those connections, especially by the starter. sometimes you can see arcing or smoke by the starter if someone else is turning it over if the connection is loose. also a bad battery, a battery that is to small or doesn't have enough cranking amps, bad starter motor.
Where is the voltage with the car off? 12.6 is about 100% and the percentage of being discharged drops off quick below that. Even 12.0 volts is insufficient IMHO.
If the battery voltage doesnt increase once you start the car up (and it never goes over 12.6 volts), that's a sign the alt is not getting power to the rest of the car.
In your case right now, you probably don't know since it wont start. Just charge it up and see what it reads and what it does. You can check the specific gravity in each cell if you have a 99 cent tester. Then a jumper battery can help further.
One other note: new doesnt always mean 'good'. I only say it because it's frustrating to rule out a part because it's new when in fact the new part was bad. I have brand new batteries fail load tests (before I bought them). Before I started having all new parts tested, I would have them last a couple months (being borderline) and then fail.
Good luck.
If the battery voltage doesnt increase once you start the car up (and it never goes over 12.6 volts), that's a sign the alt is not getting power to the rest of the car.
In your case right now, you probably don't know since it wont start. Just charge it up and see what it reads and what it does. You can check the specific gravity in each cell if you have a 99 cent tester. Then a jumper battery can help further.
One other note: new doesnt always mean 'good'. I only say it because it's frustrating to rule out a part because it's new when in fact the new part was bad. I have brand new batteries fail load tests (before I bought them). Before I started having all new parts tested, I would have them last a couple months (being borderline) and then fail.
Good luck.
skunk21
Active Member
hehe, we think alike, new don't mean crap, get it tested. the same has happened to me with alts and starters...I learned
.i went out to start the car this morning and it started so i could pull it into the garage. swapped out the starter relay cuz i had it sitting around it started about five more times and then started doing the same thing. i checked the battery before doing so and had 11.6 volts still have it taked down and bench tested?
skunk21
Active Member
check all your cable connections like I posted. have the battery load tested. have your charging system tested. report back.
skunk21
Active Member
hmmm new battery just dead but test out okay. okay. make sure you don't have some time of draw on your battery when the car is off. if the alt is good and putting out true numbers to the battery, then the wiring to the alt is good if it's making to the battery. the battery is discharging the charge therfore junk, bad cell or cells. it's a very simlpe system, the starter is a pig and likes it's high voltage anything less and no good, the weak link, poor connections, weak unhealthy battery, weak charging system causing weak battery, draw on battery causing weak battery. good luck.
Any number of items can cause a draw. Things like glovebox lights, vanity mirrors, trunk lights, underhood lights, etc can all wipe down a battery in short order if left on 24-7 (because a switch goes bad. It would be like if the light inside your fridge stopped turning off. Unless you could stay in the fridge, it would be tough to know).
Here's a little synopsis on checking current draw (thanks to Saleen0679 who originally posted it). If the readings dont make sense, ensure the positive meter lead is plugged into the correct DMM port. On many meters, you have to use the 3rd port.
Good luck.
skunk21
Active Member
12-12.5 little weak 13-14 best, although one would think the voltage regulator would have the alt kicking high with a battery that low. alt is getting old , still working but again on the slow side. your battery is droppng volts though, check for draw or weak cells in battery, it very well could be the alt isn't keeping up with the battery but I'm not putting $$'s on it. did you get the same size battery? or one with right amount of cold cranking amps for your car? just asking. you got some digging to do.
Your battery is still in bad shape. I only bring it up because it being so discharged can skew diagnostics.
The alt is definitely putting out, which is good. Voltage readings at idle are tough to interpolate IMHO because everyone's idle setting is a little different (stock tachs and even aftermarket chronograph tachs are tough to interpolate). All in all, if you can achieve 14.4+ volts at about 2K RPM, that's right in the ballpark with optimal alt output.
I still would like to see the battery or parasitic draw issue resolved, especially since your initial issue is an intermittant cranking and low battery voltage with the car off (and volts are up while running).
MHO.
Good luck.
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