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  • 1965 - 1973 Classic Mustangs -General/Talk-
  • Classic Mustang Specific Tech

I'm very very flusterated-> I hate shorts!!!!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter oboebrian
  • Start date Start date Mar 3, 2004

oboebrian

Founding Member
Aug 8, 2002
2,510
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0
In the Gutter Gaurding the Closet Door against She
Mar 3, 2004
#1
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #1
Well my 72 was running great prior to and when i put the 72 in the back shop. But now something has drained the optima battery and even when jumping it I find evidence of a short (sparking when connecting the ground cable). When trying to jump it using a portable battery jumper the voltage drops down to 3.9 v (definitely not good). The battery itself is at 6v now.

It's a brand new starter, and the only electrical thing i've been messing with is finishing running the speaker wires to the 6x9's in the package tray. Urg!!! I see hours of wire tracing with a DVOM in my future. I hate this sort of stuff because it's usually something stupid but takes hours to find. sorry for the rant.
 
B

bnickel

Founding Member
Aug 21, 2002
5,640
3
77
lubbock, texas
Mar 3, 2004
#2
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #2
hey oboe, make sure the doors are closed and the stereo ans amps are off, then re-test
 

oboebrian

Founding Member
Aug 8, 2002
2,510
0
0
In the Gutter Gaurding the Closet Door against She
Mar 3, 2004
#3
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #3
bnickel said:
hey oboe, make sure the doors are closed and the stereo ans amps are off, then re-test
Click to expand...

The amps aren't wired in to my 72 yet (there in my 02 temporaily ) The doors were closed.

I did an elimination test of just hooking the + power lead from the batter through the starter solenoid then down to the starter. Nothing else on the starter solenoid. Using a remote starter switch i triggered the starter side of the solenoid (with the portable battery jumper connected to battery). Still barely cranked. I guess I'll have to get my trickle down charger from my boss and fully charge the battery itself (instead of using the jumper box) and see if that makes any difference. I do know I have a short somewhere, I was just trying to isolate the circuits. But that's hard to do w/o the battery being fully charged.

Oh what fun it is to have these old cars with the GBM/Midlife curse!
 

2nd Mustang

Founding Member
Feb 24, 2002
2,488
0
46
Southern California
Mar 3, 2004
#4
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #4
Had a similar problem in my work van a few months ago. One afternoon after driving all day, the engine wouldn't crank, lights were dim, dash wouldn't even light up. The only thing that worked was the radio. We jumped it and it ran good for a few weeks then it wouldn't crank again during a work day. We jumped it and it would only run for a few seconds then die. The battery had only 9 volts at the terminals. A new battery solved the problem.........I hope, it's been about 2 months now.
 
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bnickel

Founding Member
Aug 21, 2002
5,640
3
77
lubbock, texas
Mar 3, 2004
#5
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #5
were you working on anything else electrical?
 

oboebrian

Founding Member
Aug 8, 2002
2,510
0
0
In the Gutter Gaurding the Closet Door against She
Mar 3, 2004
#6
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #6
nothing else for the past month other than hooking up the two rear speakers. before that was plugging in my tach which i had previously wired up with quick disconnects.
 

pabear89

Active Member
Apr 15, 2003
2,126
0
46
High in the Hills of So Ca with the Voices in My H
Mar 3, 2004
#7
  • Mar 3, 2004
  • #7
Isolate it with a test light on the neg side.
remove the neg cable and put light inline.
that is the quickest way to find the draw on the battery even if it's low.

PB
 

67coupestang

Founding Member
May 31, 2002
509
2
19
Mar 4, 2004
#8
  • Mar 4, 2004
  • #8
pabear89 said:
Isolate it with a test light on the neg side.
remove the neg cable and put light inline.
that is the quickest way to find the draw on the battery even if it's low.

PB
Click to expand...

yup hook up the light and start pulling fuses until the light goes out
 

1320stang

Founding Member
Nov 13, 1998
4,329
23
89
Edmond, Oklahoma
Mar 4, 2004
#9
  • Mar 4, 2004
  • #9
Maybe you should try a skirt, or I guess a Kilt, but I'm not sure you have the legs for it. You also want to be careful on your creeper.
 
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