Starter or battery

stevechaos13 · Post by **stevechaos13** » October 28, 2008, 7:49 am

Had a problem with my slick this morning. It's the coldest day of the year, and she wouldn't start! I left my house on the way to work and when I went out to start her she fired right over, no problems. I drove about a mile and stopped at the store for about 2 minutes. When I came back out she won't crank over. I messed with the battery cables and checked all my connections, but still nothing. The solenoid will click like crazy, but that's it. I thought maybe the battery was on it's way out but the ammeter is showing dead center and the volmeter I out in is showin 12.5 when in ACCY. Anyone?
My truck is a 65 with a 352. I had this problem before I did my rewire, but since this is the first time it has been an issue. Any help would be appreciated!

PFM-64f100 · Post by **PFM-64f100** » October 28, 2008, 8:14 am

If you could jump it off and it starts I would say battree. If jump starting it didn't work then maybe the starter. The cold and heat normally will kill a battree in a hard beat. Hope this helps

stevechaos13 · Post by **stevechaos13** » October 28, 2008, 8:20 am

I tried jump starting it with my buddy's truck, but it didn't seem to make much of a diffrence. I didn't try jumping it across the solenoid. Sitting here thinking about, I don't think I have been able to get that battery to fully charge on my charger ever. What throws me is what the gauges are showing. 12.5 on the voltmeter, and dead center on the ammeter.

BarnieTrk · Post by **BarnieTrk** » October 28, 2008, 8:46 am

Steve,
Do you have another vehicle you can switch out the battery with - just for a test? If so, I'd try that next. A different, known-to-be-a-good battery may indicate that your battery is junk. Remember that volts is one thing, but cranking amps is what is necessary to start these beasts. (Recall, your amp meter doesn't move at all.. )

This past summer, the battery in my '65 with 390"indicated 12+ volts on my volt meter, but still wouldn't crank the starter. I assumed that the starter was cooked (starters haven't lasted more than a few years since I have headers on it). But after removing the one exhaust collector & header to allow me to remove the starter -- then taking the starter to my local alternator/starter repair shop, the guy tells me that the starter is FINE! and to check my battery. Sure as $h!t, I switched out my battery and it cranked right up! So back on went the starter then the header/exhaust collector pipe again (Geezzz, that's a PIA job), in went a new battery, no problems since! Yeah, I knew better and yet I still took the long way around the house.......

Good Luck!

BarnieTrk

stevechaos13 · Post by **stevechaos13** » October 28, 2008, 8:52 am

Barnie,
That's along the same lines that I was thinking. I've never charged this battery all the way up on my charger, just enough to get a crank out of the truck, and I did leave the heater and radio while I was in the store, as well as the lights.
I don't have another battery that I can test it with, but that is definatley the plan...
Thanks

BarnieTrk · Post by **BarnieTrk** » October 28, 2008, 8:57 am

truckerdaddy66 · Post by **truckerdaddy66** » October 28, 2008, 9:42 am

Make sure the soilond is grounded good, scrape paint off behind it.My truck was acting like yours,but Icould jump it with a screw driver.It turned out it needed to be grounded.

Truckerdaddy66,New Caney ,Tx.

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » October 28, 2008, 9:46 am

last time that happened to my wife she wiggled the cable at the solenoid, must have been a bit loose because after it fired right up.

stevechaos13 · Post by **stevechaos13** » October 28, 2008, 9:53 am

I'm gonna try to fire it up at lunch with a fresh battery from here at work. If that don't work I'm gonna jump the solenoid. Someone told me that they can still click all day even if their bad. I've never heard it click so fast. When it was doin this before I rewired it was more like a click then a clunk. Now it's just a bunch of rapid clicks.

Slick Fan · Post by **Slick Fan** » October 28, 2008, 1:54 pm

The rapid click thing usually indicates that it's not getting enough juice. That can be either a half dead battery, or a bad connection at the cables. Make sure your battery posts & cable ends are clean & tight, and also the other end where they make their other connection.
If you still have the same result with clean & tight connections, my money's on a weak battery. A bad cell in the battery can act like that very often.

jecsd1 · Post by **jecsd1** » October 28, 2008, 2:24 pm

step 1. load test the battery. If bad, replace. If not, check connections and try a voltage drop test to the starter. Then have the starter tested. If the relay is bad you will know it when you do a drop test

stevechaos13 · Post by **stevechaos13** » October 28, 2008, 3:58 pm

Thanks guys. I put in a new battery and solenoid and the problem stopped. Fires right up. I think my alternator may be suspect though, gonna have it checked this evening.