here is the deal...when i bought the car the previous owner told me there was a drain on the battery, probably coming from the late 1980's Clifford alarm system. "If the car isn't driven for a week" he said, "she won't start" -- in the meantime, i bought a battery charger because there are periods where i will let her sit for up to two weeks at a time (never more than that) -- on saturday night i wanted to go out for a spin, and nada...dead bat...no biggie, I just hooked her up to the charger & ran some errands for about 3 hours on sunday instead. everything seemed fine for the most part, except she started to struggle a little bit on the start up when the engine was near operating temperature, and she ran a little hot (that's another issue entirely)...anyways, I wanted to drive her to work today (wednesday) and nothing. actually, the battery seemed "deader than normal" -- she usually will at least "try" to turn over, but today....nothing. i'm tired of this nonsense, I charged this baby a few days ago to 90 percent and ran her for along time on sunday. the current alternator seems pretty cheap and the battery seems awfully small...would replacing these with more "beefier" components correct this? should i remove this old alarm system? all connections to the alty seem fine, you fellas think it's jacked?

'74 L48 4 speed yellow coupe (stock)
no factory options

 

Yes, kill the alarm system and anything else should be fixed, then buy a new battery, I'm sure that with all of the abuse your old one has a dead cell, maybe more.

The alternator is probably fine, test it when the rest is finished. If you have less that 13 volts at the NEW battery at idle then replace the alt.

Godd Luck

 

hey, thinks for your earlier posts about my charcoal cannister questions, unfortunately i didn't drive her into work today! :lol: so i didn't get to test out the new "connection" between the cannister and carb... how do i test if the alternator is producing 13 amps? do i just put a meter on the battery? actually, i have an extra battery...needs a charge, but i got the tools....battery that is in there is pretty new, but seems small...thanks again!

 

Actually, if you are going to get another battery. most places will check the output of the alternator for free.

 

Electrical draws are the pits. But if I can fix one, so can you.

First, I'd put a quick battery disconnect on it. Every vette should have one. This won't solve your problem, but may save your car one day.

Testing for an electrical draw is really easy. Just use a simple test light between the "-" battery cable and the "-" battery terminal. If the light goes on, there's a draw. Just make sure your door is closed and the key is out of the car to avoid a false reading. Also close the hood.

Some checks to perfom then...
Remove all the fuses, one at a time, checking for a draw between each swap. This will isolate the circuit that *may* have draw.
Disconnect your alternator & check for a draw.
Disconnect your starter & check again.
Does your + battery terminal have any little wires running to it besides the big one?

There are some excellent electrical gurus out here to help you and provide much more detailed info. Hope this helps...



[Modified by 74jack, 2:58 PM 8/8/2002]

 

I also had an electrical draw problem. You'd think that an electrical engineer
with four college degrees could figure it out quick. Think again.

I like 74jack's tips. When my car is finally together, I'm gonna go "draw hunting". You just have to be careful with 20-30 year old wiring and connectors.

What worked for me: Buy an excellent battery. I bought 72 month Exide
at BJ Wholesale. Keep the receipt !! Put it in a ziplock baggy with the registration
and keep it in the glove (box) pocket. After it dies in 12 months or so,
I take it back for a new one - with the prorated warranty, it usually cost
me about $10 to get a new battery each year. Winter storage was the
kicker. I never set up a trickle charger to keep it fresh.
:seeya

 

That is what I did but at WalMart. Have not bought a battery in years, just get a new one due to their 3 year full replacement warranty. They also have a small plastic pouch attached to the battery that you put the receipt in. That way you always have it. If you should have trouble on the road, WalMart is everywhere.

tom...


[Modified by Tom73, 2:33 PM 8/8/2002]

 

good tips, thanks

here is what i did today....i charged the bat to about 85% at 10 amps....started up fine this morning, no problems...drove her to work and got the volt meter from the engineer at work....i tested the battery (car was not started) it was about 11 volts....started the car and it tested about 12 volts at idle....after work, it started fine...thanks to 73454 for helping me with my charcoal cannister questions...."mysteriously" no fuel smell coming from the car anymore :lol:

another thing, the battery meter on the car barely registers above positive..

 

Should have about 12 or so volts when not running and about 13 to 14 when running. Sounds like something is weak in the system. Auto Zone can check your alternator with it in the car under load, for free. I strongly recommend this given your low voltage readings.
Jeff