Need help diagnosing my eletrical problem

[BlownStangGT]

Ok heres what my car does. After I am driving it, if I stop somewhere and turn it off and go inside for a few minutes, or even 5-10 min. And the car is warmed up, I will try to start it and it will just crank and take a good while to start. Sometimes it wont start at all. Now if I leave the car sit for a couple of hours it will start up no problem after I have drived it. Its just after I drive it, turn it off and try to start it like 5 min or less later it takes foreevr to start and cranks really really slow. Would a new coil or starter be the problem here? Or could it be the battery? I have no clue what it is, im sure its simple but its befondleing me. Thanx for all the help

 

[jerry beach]

It could be your starter or your cables. That includes the battery cables, starter cable and ground straps. Best way to find out cheap is to check all of the connections. Do this with the battery disconnected, neg. then pos., and hooked up in reverse order. If they look really old, I replace all the cables. I would take it to someone who has the meters to measure what is going on in the circuits, and ask them to diagnose it. Many places will not even charge for this, ask ahead of time. I have purchased about $250 worth of meters to check this stuff out myself, but you may not want to go that route.

 

[BlownStangGT]

Ok, the ground cable looks pretty nasty. It might need replaced. Ok how about this one, I drove home 45 min from cecil county drag way, went to a gas station, turned the car off. Pumped gas, went in and paid, came back out and it wouldnt crank at all. I let it sit, tried it agian a min later. Smoke started pouring out near the bat, so I rushed out and poped the hood to see what looks like my ground cable smoking, and it was hot as anything. I let it sit for another min and it didnt wanna crank, then finally it decided to crank up. I think its the ground cable that needs replaced casue at the terminal it looks kinda nasty, like wires fraed and stuff. Ill check into it. Anyone else have any ideas?

 

[jerry beach]

Do yourself a big favor and replace both cables and the starter wire. You are going to have a fire soon if you dont take care of it. I would not drive it like that, you will fry your alt. too.

 

[HISSIN50]

Jerry is right on. juice flows from ground to positive. if you bottleneck the ground path, you are asking for trouble. wait too long and a few bucks for cables turns into a bunch of cash for electrical components. good luck.

 

[DMAN302]

Replace the Ground cable, replace the positive cable, and replace the selenoid to starter cable. If problem continues look at getting the starter bench tested (free and easily removed) and rebuilt if nessesary (well under 100$)...oh ya get a new selenoid for 20$ while your at it. Sounds like alot but all about 100$ when done, and try to remember these cars are almost 20 years old this stuff is due to be replaced. Mine did the same thing ended up being a tired starter..cost me 60$ and guy agreed to rebuld my alt at same time for 70$ more..I agreed since both these were original...and just like magic car starts like a dream every time. Then my harmonic balancer took a dump...then I noticed my water pump leakin, then I noticed my rack leakin...then I noticed...F*@K these cars are the best to drive but I tell ya there is always something to fix no mater how well you maintain them.

 

[Idwitheld-1`]

Ok heres what my car does. After I am driving it, if I stop somewhere and turn it off and go inside for a few minutes, or even 5-10 min. And the car is warmed up, I will try to start it and it will just crank and take a good while to start. Sometimes it wont start at all. Now if I leave the car sit for a couple of hours it will start up no problem after I have drived it. Its just after I drive it, turn it off and try to start it like 5 min or less later it takes foreevr to start and cranks really really slow. Would a new coil or starter be the problem here? Or could it be the battery? I have no clue what it is, im sure its simple but its befondleing me. Thanx for all the help

Hey, noticed the "cranks really teally slow" Is your battery strong, is it charging?
If batt charging ok then I bet it is either heat soak in the starter, or the starter is begining to fail. I had the same issue years ago. slow weak turn-over on the motor. eventually would not turn over at all. Bad starter.

 

[BlownStangGT]

I replaced the ends of the cables, the parts that attatch to the battery. The old ones were really looking shot so I went out and got new ones and everything seems to be fine. The cables look good still, it was just the ends where it conects to the terminals. I will drive it more tom and see if the problem of turning it off and starting it agian presist, if it does ill look more into it