Electrical Issue..
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,919
Likes: 4
From: Clovis NM
Electrical Issue..
I have not driven the Vette in about a month or so, and figured the battery just drained. I jumped it, drove it for about 1/2 hour and everything seemed fine. Once stopped at home, I shut it down and tried to start it to see if it would turn over.. nothing, not even a "click". This has happened a couple of times.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 7,246
Likes: 21
From: Going too fast over the hill. Iowa
Begin at the beginning:
Check the battery for 12.5v or higher,if so battery is ok
if not then jump start the car and look again for 13.5v or higher, if so alt is ok
If both bat and alt are ok: clean battery terminals, clean starter solenoid terminals, clean horn relay terminals, clean both bulkhead plug terminals, checking in between for starting power until you find the problem.
Your last resort is the starter solenoid.
Check the battery for 12.5v or higher,if so battery is ok
if not then jump start the car and look again for 13.5v or higher, if so alt is ok
If both bat and alt are ok: clean battery terminals, clean starter solenoid terminals, clean horn relay terminals, clean both bulkhead plug terminals, checking in between for starting power until you find the problem.
Your last resort is the starter solenoid.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,919
Likes: 4
From: Clovis NM
Begin at the beginning:
Check the battery for 12.5v or higher,if so battery is ok
if not then jump start the car and look again for 13.5v or higher, if so alt is ok
If both bat and alt are ok: clean battery terminals, clean starter solenoid terminals, clean horn relay terminals, clean both bulkhead plug terminals, checking in between for starting power until you find the problem.
Your last resort is the starter solenoid.
Check the battery for 12.5v or higher,if so battery is ok
if not then jump start the car and look again for 13.5v or higher, if so alt is ok
If both bat and alt are ok: clean battery terminals, clean starter solenoid terminals, clean horn relay terminals, clean both bulkhead plug terminals, checking in between for starting power until you find the problem.
Your last resort is the starter solenoid.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 5,347
Likes: 36
From: San Clemente CA
Do you have a quick ammeter to check the battery as per Magic's recommendation?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,919
Likes: 4
From: Clovis NM
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 7,246
Likes: 21
From: Going too fast over the hill. Iowa
It's amazing how much trouble dirt and corrosion can cause.
PS: There's no info in your profile. Is the car automatic?
Last edited by magicv8; Mar 30, 2008 at 09:15 PM.
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Tech Contributor
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 15,576
Likes: 118
From: Conroe Texas
My 62 wouldn't start, not even a click, when the car was hot. Replaced the battery and the problem was resolved. I think the battery was not strong enough to overcome the extra resistance in the starting circuit once the car (and all the connections) were warm.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,919
Likes: 4
From: Clovis NM
It's possible. I worked for Main Street Plymouth in Buffalo in 1965, when a customer came in with a 63 Chevy that had been to other shops for hard starting problems. The other shops had replaced the battery, alternator, regulator, and starter with the solenoid. All that was wrong was crud on the battery cables. Whoever installed the battery hadn't bothered to clean them. The alt wasn't capable of burning through the dirt to charge the battery, and the weak battery couldn't do it alone. Clamp cables over the dirty connectors and the car would start right up.
It's amazing how much trouble dirt and corrosion can cause.
PS: There's no info in your profile. Is the car automatic?
It's amazing how much trouble dirt and corrosion can cause.
PS: There's no info in your profile. Is the car automatic?
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 14,984
Likes: 185
From: CT
A quick jump start will get the car going, but unless driven for a very long period of time an alternator will not charge a dead battery. Optima's take a very long time to charge up after they are drained. Happened with my C-5 and it took nearly a day charging to get it back up to full charge.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 7,246
Likes: 21
From: Going too fast over the hill. Iowa
If you mean 13v at idle with a 12.5 volt battery, that's fine. If the battery reads 12v or less before you start the car, it is discharged at least a little. In that case when you start the car and rev the engine/alternator to 2k rpm, the alt should push 13.5 to 14volts.
Check the alt output at the battery + (cable connector and the post should read the same) and at the alt big red wire (don't ground it).
If the battery has a full 12.5v charge, the regulator should limit alt output to about 13v. You can also increase the load by turning on the lights when you rev the engine to check the alt, so the reg will ask the alt to step up the power even if the battery is fully charged.
If the alt will not step above 13v and the battery is low, check the reg and alt.
Check the alt output at the battery + (cable connector and the post should read the same) and at the alt big red wire (don't ground it).
If the battery has a full 12.5v charge, the regulator should limit alt output to about 13v. You can also increase the load by turning on the lights when you rev the engine to check the alt, so the reg will ask the alt to step up the power even if the battery is fully charged.
If the alt will not step above 13v and the battery is low, check the reg and alt.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 5,347
Likes: 36
From: San Clemente CA
That solves one of my probems. When hot my car cranks like the battery is just about dead then kicks in. I do have a new Optima that I am going to install and that makes me feel better.
Don
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 7,631
Likes: 11
From: Rocklin California
Optima batteries will not take a fast charge. In fact, that will damage it. They take a low amp charge for many hours. I had a red top in my 32 Ford for a couple of years and it went bad. Switched to the yellow top and it would hold a charge for a very long time. Once charged, 13.2 volts should be good, it should work fine. But charge it overnight again at low amps. 
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,919
Likes: 4
From: Clovis NM
I finally got around to checking the battery and it shows about 8 volts. 
I pulled it and am going to try charging it see if it will hold. A new red top is $200. Since when did Optima become so expensive?
I pulled it and am going to try charging it see if it will hold. A new red top is $200. Since when did Optima become so expensive?
