Crap- I went to start the car this moring to see what was going on. I had interior lights when I got into the car, but when I turned the key the starter it just clicked once and there was no power to anything- no interior lights or anything. Its as if I blew a main fuse somewhere. The battery is showing 12.4 volts. I had disconneted the battery last night and all I did this morning was simply to plug it back up.
Any ideas? I hooked the charger up to the battery and it went straight to "fully charged". The voltage at the selenoid reads 5.5 volts (battery connected). I then removed the battery and checked the cables, reinstalled it and had lights (yea), but when I turned the key everything went dead again.

To add an update- I removed the battery to test it and when I moved it the interior lights came on again and I tried to start it and nothing- all still dead. However, the interesting part is that I left the terminals connected to the battery and simply picked the battery up an inch or so and sat it back down within the compartment the lights came back on again. I am thinking that the battery is shorting out inside itself. Could that be the case even though it still has 12 volts showing on the multimeter?

Thanks very much, all!
Dan

 

Time for a new starter....easy fix. Stay calm!

 

Check the voltage at the battery while you are trying to start the engine. If the voltage goes below 10 volts; replace the battery. I'm sure it will drop like a rock to below 6 volts. Is this the sulfated battery that you were talking about in your other thread? Sounds like you now have a shorted cell. That's why the charger went to max charge. The battery is dead!!!

 

Did any of you ever see that movie "No Time for Sergeants" where Andy Griffith spit into the rado and gave it a good "thumpin"? That's what I feel like

I gave the battery a little smack on the side and the lights came back on and the car started- I think SSG26K has it nailed. I think the battery is shorting out inside- its off to Advance to fix this for good, hopefully).

Dan

PS If you have not seen that movie I mentioned, you should- it is actually better than the "Airplane" movies- and those are dam hard to beat!

 

Sounds like you have it figured out. Be careful an internally shorting battery can explode. Also check where the neg battery cable attaches to the frame to make sure it is making good contact and that the cable end is not swollen and full of corrosion.

 

Very good advice......how old is the batt?

 

roger Roger. Be careful sounds like a broken connection inside of bat. An explosion waiting to happen. Cover the bat with a towel or something when possible to avoid any shrappnel and acid.

 

The battery was purchased by the prior owner in 2001. According to the guys at Advance Auto it is fine- they said it tested as being a good battery, however I am replacing it anyway. I have a funny feeling about it and would rtaher not trust an 8 year old battery.

 

[QUOTE=RedZR;1572334741]The battery was purchased by the prior owner in 2001. According to the guys at Advance Auto it is fine- they said it tested as being a good battery, however I am replacing it anyway. I have a funny feeling about it and would rather not trust an 8 year old battery


An update: I installed a new battery along with a proper battery disconnect (the blade type that is designed for side post batteries) and everything appears to be fine. Upon start-up the charge gauge moved close the red and the car charged at 14.6 at the alternator. However, after it warmed up (and the new battery chraged fully) the gauge came closer to the 13- about mid way between the 13 and the beginning of the red section to be exact. According to the alternator connection its charging at 14.2 (approx). I played with turning stuff on and the voltage stays very strong- I think I am good to go.

I wanted to get around to the charging system maintenance soon, so I guess today was as good of a time as any. I did notice that I had a couple of radiator hoses leaking since the temperatures turned cold- I simply snugged them up a little until I change the coolant and I will go through them at that point to make sure all are connected properly.

I appreciate the assistance that everyone provided. I learned how great this forum was when I was working on my 91 ZR1 and am so glad everyone is willing to share their expertise- I am happy to help if I can.

Happy Holidays guys & gals !!!!

Dan

 

Dan,

I am glad it all worked out...it was due for a new battery. The cut-off switch will save you from future problems...good buy!

 

You may still have a problem [I hope not...but...]. The battery may, in fact, be defective; however, a more common problem would be that one of the main battery cables is "bad"...meaning it is rotted out inside the insulation (usually near an end connector) where you can't see it, or a crimped connector has lost it's electrical contact, or a connector is corroded so that it can't pass much current. Any of those situations OR the bad battery will produce about the same symptoms.

So, just removing and replacing the battery may have wiggled/twisted/moved the 'problem area' enough to mask the real fault again. This info is just meant to provide you with some other alternatives should you encounter the same problem in the near future.

When anyone has a starting problem, the first thing to try is to turn the headlights ON, THEN try to start the car. If the battery is weak, the headlights will dim dramatically when the ignition is activated, even though it doesn't crank. That response would indicate that the battery is depleted indicating a bad battery or some charging problem. If the headlights don't dim, then there is a problem with getting the [good] battery's power to the starter, or the starter/solenoid set has a defect. Just strategy for a future occurence....