battery cables
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 18,640
Likes: 121
From: Farragut,TN
battery cables
been fighting a battery problem for a while. started out car would click but not turn motor over charge battery over night car would crank and run. would drive the car about 5 miles watching ampmeter. showed high amps recharge and would settle down. figured the battery was going bad. last time recharged battery and all i got was a click. figured battery was toast. bought a new one today. same problem. just a click. the car is a '69 convert. 350/300 4 speed. my question is where and how do the battery cables run. i'm pretty sure the +12v cables are ok due to the click of the starter soleniod what i'm suspecting is the ground cable. but i would like to know how are the battery cables run in this chassis. 
Race Director
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 10,643
Likes: 8
From: Foxfield CO 1970 Convertible
On my '70 (which I'm guessing is similar), the positive cable runs from the battery box above the transmission to the starter solenoid. The negative goes from the box directly to the frame back by the box.
There are two grounds that should be checked. One comes out of the large harness close to the starter and goes to the starter ground. The other ground is between the engine and the frame near one of the engine mounts.
Maybe your grounds are bad???
Good luck -
There are two grounds that should be checked. One comes out of the large harness close to the starter and goes to the starter ground. The other ground is between the engine and the frame near one of the engine mounts.
Maybe your grounds are bad???
Good luck -
Drifting
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,651
Likes: 13
From: Holly MI
My suggestion would be to replace the battery cable with welding cable. It's cheap, flexible, and sold by the foot in any gauge you need. Also, if your car is anything like mine, all the power distribution wiring will be showing its age. I completely rewired my power distribution per MAD Electronics suggestions, and there is a noticeable improvement. That's what I would recommend to anyone. If you're not familiar with them, do a search and you should find a lot of information.
Good luck.
Ken
Good luck.
Ken
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,812
Likes: 2,029
From: eastern NC
694speed350
Have you checked the draw from the starter? Most service centers have an Inductive Ammeter similar to this one...
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....&group_ID=1477
By placing it over one of the battery cables and engaging the starter, you can see how much amperage the starter is drawing. Anytime you replace a battery with a new one (assuming it's a good one) and get the same clicking sound it's a good time to check the starter to eliminate it as a problem. It is easy to chase your tail on these things, so I would try to eliminate the easy stuff first. The spec's for starter draw are in most good service manuals and as I recall should be somewhere around 200 amps max. The good news is that with a bad starter, the needle will get buried on one of these gauges (600 amps!) and there will be little doubt of the problem.
If the draw is minimal or below 200 amps, I would then start troubleshooting the circuitry including cables.
Good luck... GUSTO
Have you checked the draw from the starter? Most service centers have an Inductive Ammeter similar to this one...
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....&group_ID=1477
By placing it over one of the battery cables and engaging the starter, you can see how much amperage the starter is drawing. Anytime you replace a battery with a new one (assuming it's a good one) and get the same clicking sound it's a good time to check the starter to eliminate it as a problem. It is easy to chase your tail on these things, so I would try to eliminate the easy stuff first. The spec's for starter draw are in most good service manuals and as I recall should be somewhere around 200 amps max. The good news is that with a bad starter, the needle will get buried on one of these gauges (600 amps!) and there will be little doubt of the problem.
If the draw is minimal or below 200 amps, I would then start troubleshooting the circuitry including cables.
Good luck... GUSTO
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 18,640
Likes: 121
From: Farragut,TN
wen't down to borrowed garrage today temp broke 50f today (old guy can't take cold weather) to check out problem. jumpered grounds with jumper cables still nothing worked. finally hooked up small battery charger turned on hazard flashers guess what they worked which means that the battery cables are ok. charger slowly went up to 6 amps (its a 6 amp charger) and is still on 6amps. i'm suspecting the new battery is defective.
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Drifting
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,651
Likes: 13
From: Holly MI
I'm no expert, but I expect you are more likely to see ground problems with larger loads. The hazards don't draw much current, especially compared to the starter. Using a test lamp, an interior type light bulb works well, check the ground in several places. By putting a load across the connection, you will get a good idea if you're getting a good ground.
Ken
Ken
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,126
Likes: 0
From: Hudson Falls, N.Y. 76 Vette Modified L-48
Originally Posted by GUSTO14
694speed350 It is easy to chase your tail on these things, so I would try to eliminate the easy stuff first. The spec's for starter draw are in most good service manuals and as I recall should be somewhere around 200 amps max. The good news is that with a bad starter, the needle will get buried on one of these gauges (600 amps!) and there will be little doubt of the problem.
If the draw is minimal or below 200 amps, I would then start troubleshooting the circuitry including cables. GUSTO
If the draw is minimal or below 200 amps, I would then start troubleshooting the circuitry including cables. GUSTO
