What causes a BATT light to come on? Car still will not start HELP!!!!!!

[4dStang]

What causes the BATT light to come on?

I am charging at 14+ and the battery sits at 12.5 volts avg. I have been having staring problems recently and thought I had it fixed with the ignition switch change. Now the battery light is on when I jump it or let it sit for a while (it will start) I have not tested the charge on the battery, but I have never seen a batt light come on with a low charged battery.

This is on a 95 GT. It has a new alternator, starter, ground and power cables and ign switch. It will start after sitting for a while but if I drive it for a few miles, stop and try to restart it, it will not turn but ever so slightly. I have put in 3 starters so far.

Should I take the alt, starter and battery to autozone for testing? I thought about taking out the starter and the battery and bench testing that, but it would probably work, I would put it back in and blah, SOS would happen.

This is killing me that I cannot fix it. I seriously had to restrain my self from taking a 4 lb mallot to the car today. It is plauged.


HELP HELP HELP HELP

 

[5.0 Nostalgia]

I thought you fixed this today with a new ignition switch. This sucks.

 

[jeffnoel]

Yes have everything tested, start with the battery.

 

[4dStang]

I had the battery tested last week and it tested good but a low charge. I set it on the charger all night. My alt was only putting out 12.5 V at idle. I replaced the alt and there was no change. I even took the car for a ten mile drive, brought it home, shut it down and no start. just a creeping turn of the motor. ARRRGH

I am bench testing the starter tonight with my cobra battery and my Mustang battery for S&G's.

I just can't imagine any other components that would cause this. EVERYTHING has been changed.

 

[Hot88MustangGT]

Voltage regulator

It might be your voltage regulator. My friends bronco had the same problem. He changed the alt a few times the battery 10 times and still coudnt figure it out. When he read the charging when the car was on it was correct. When drivin he just didnt put the power back in. You might want to try that.

 

[jrichker]

Here's a checklist:

Since some of the tests will bypass the safety interlocks, make sure that the car is in neutral and the parking brake is set. Becoming a pancake isn’t part of the repair process…

Check battery, terminal connections, ground, starter relay switch (also known as solenoid) and starter in that order.

A voltmeter is handy if you are familiar with how to use it to find bad connections. Measure the voltage drop across a connection: more than .5 volts across a connection indicates a problem.
See http://www.fluke.com/application_notes/automotive/circuit.asp?AGID=1&SID=103 for help

1.) Will the car start if it is jumped? Then clean battery terminals and check battery.

2.) Check the battery to engine block ground, and the ground behind the engine to the firewall.

3.) Then pull the small push on connector (red wire) off the starter relay (Looks like it is stuck on a screw)> Then jump between the screw and the terminal that is connected to the battery. If it starts, the relay is good and your problem is in the rest of the circuit.

4.) Remember to check the ignition switch, neutral safety switch on auto trans and the clutch safety switch on manual trans cars. If they are good, then the relay is bad. See http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d80195963.gif for 88-90 year cars .OR see http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d80195964.gif for 91-93 year cars. See http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiB..._us/0900823d/80/1d/db/3c/0900823d801ddb3c.jsp for 94-95 model cars.

5.) Jump the big terminals on the starter relay next to the battery with a screwdriver - watch out for the sparks! If the engine cranks, the starter and power wiring is good. The starter relay is also known as a starter solenoid.

6.) The starter may be hung, loosen up the bolts that hold it on, and give it a good whack with a big hammer. Tighten up the bolts and try again.

7.) If that doesn't work, use a jumper cable from the positive lead on the battery direct to the starter post where the big wire from the relay connects. If it cranks then, it is the power wire from the relay gone bad. This will be hard to do, since there isn't much room to do it.

8.) Pull the starter and take it to Autozone or Pep Boys and have them test it. Starter fails test, then replace it. If you got this far, the starter is probably bad.

 

[4dStang]

OK. jrichker, I have done everything you have said already, more than once. The starter is the fifth starter including the original stock starter. I put in new 4 gauge cables with gold plated terminals to block, chassis (removed paint at contact) and starter. But, do you really think that I can go through five starters? The auto parts store will refuse me if I take it back for the fourth time.

Now as far as the charging, I would like to be able to tell what kind of charge is in the battery. But, I started it ten times last night, woke up this morning, started it fine, let it run for 3-5 minutes and shut it down. Then, I tried starting again and all I got was a creeping turn over. In the past, sometimes it will creep and suddenly crank over like a contact was not quite touching. But five starters doing the same thing? Five! It has had another battery put in since it started and It tested good but low charge last week.

Oh, by the way, I have a five speed conversion so I have no neutral switch.


The biggest problem seems to lie in the fact that if it starts and runs for a few minutes, warms up somewhat, it will not restart. That is the Highlight of the problem. Explain why that would happen (no I do not have long tubes) and I will be cured.

I am going home in an hour and pulling the starter and putting it in a vice. I am going to bench test that starter and worse case, swap the battery, starter and alt from my cobra to see if I get the same results.

I am sorry to be writing novels but I want every bit of what I have done to be mentioned so maybe some one that has had this problem in the past can "show me the light".

I do really appreciate all the help too.

Stop by and I'll buy you all a beer! ha ha

 

[jrichker]

Voltage drop tests too??? That often finds things that you would never suspect as being problems.