Puzzling no start issue
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,337
Likes: 14
From: Norfolk VA
Puzzling no start issue
Yesterday morning I went to start my vette and I turned the key and nothing. I did not look at the car until early this afternoon. I took my voltmeter and placed the leads across the battery terminals and it read 4.87 volts (obviously a graveyard dead battery) I took the battery to O' Riley's and had the battery recharged and tested (fully charged/good)
I get home and reconnect the battery and I get nothing, the guage/ tach needles moved but nothing else but silence..... I go out 2 and a half hours later and put my voltmeter at the battery terminals and it red 9.0 volts (super dead battery) I wont be able to look at the car for two days and wonder where I should begin. It appears that something is causing my battery to drain so rapidly. I last drove the car this past Wednesday. I purchased the battery (O'Riley's) in March this year with no issues up until yesterday morning. Where should I begin looking once I get the battery recharged and back in the car.
I get home and reconnect the battery and I get nothing, the guage/ tach needles moved but nothing else but silence..... I go out 2 and a half hours later and put my voltmeter at the battery terminals and it red 9.0 volts (super dead battery) I wont be able to look at the car for two days and wonder where I should begin. It appears that something is causing my battery to drain so rapidly. I last drove the car this past Wednesday. I purchased the battery (O'Riley's) in March this year with no issues up until yesterday morning. Where should I begin looking once I get the battery recharged and back in the car.
Last edited by Oldguard 7; Jun 30, 2015 at 08:06 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,337
Likes: 14
From: Norfolk VA
Vehicle is a 79. The battery is out of the vehicle and I have 9 volts (may be too discharged to start). I will try to jump it tomorrow to see if it will start . The battery is barely three months old.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
I hope your VM also has a current AMPS mode, if so, take one end off the battery, and insert the current meter.....anything over .o2 amps is not good, I think you need check your lights, and if nothing there, start pulling the fuses until you see the drain/current go to zero.....if that don't do it, check your battery positive cable, and the starter....maybe pull that cable from the starter, and then maybe reconnect it, and pull the wiring off the small starter terminals....
PM me I maybe well miss this thread.....
PM me I maybe well miss this thread.....
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
Likes: 2,754
From: Charlotte NC
Keep this in mind...and I KNOW it has nothing to do with the possibility of a power drain in your car. BUT...there is a MAJOR wiring harness connector at the right side of the engine near the firewall....where the wiring from the starter comes UP and connects into the main engine harness. There are 6 ports in this connector...one half is black and the other may be a clear or milky white by now. THIS can cause for you not being able to crank it because your starter wires goes into this connector and it can fail.
YES...I agree with 'mrvette'. You need to verify your amp draw on the system. And if the car has not been seriously messed with....ONLY the fuses that are hot with current when the key is out of the ignition are the ones you need to be concerned with. SO...the turn signal fuse is pointless because they only work when the key is on. I am betting that it is in the courtesy/clock fuse....and I then would bet it may be in the timer controller for your interior lights..>and I do not mean GAUGE /INSTRUMENT lights...can be int eh alternator also.
DUB
YES...I agree with 'mrvette'. You need to verify your amp draw on the system. And if the car has not been seriously messed with....ONLY the fuses that are hot with current when the key is out of the ignition are the ones you need to be concerned with. SO...the turn signal fuse is pointless because they only work when the key is on. I am betting that it is in the courtesy/clock fuse....and I then would bet it may be in the timer controller for your interior lights..>and I do not mean GAUGE /INSTRUMENT lights...can be int eh alternator also.
DUB
Last edited by DUB; Jul 1, 2015 at 07:15 PM.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 300
Likes: 10
Keep this in mind...and I KNWO it ash nothginto do withe the possibility of a poower drain in your car. BUT...ther eis a MAJOR wiring harness connector at eh right side of eh eigne near the firewall....where the wiring from teh startercomes UP and connects intote h main engine harness. There are 6 ports in this connecotr...one half is black adn teh onterh may be a clear or milky whote by now. THIS can casue for you not beaing able to crank ti becasue yoru staretr wires goes into this connector adn ti can fail.
YES...I agree with 'mrvette'. You need to verify your amp draw on the system. And if the car has not been seriously messed with....ONLY the fuses that are hot with current when the key is out of the ignition are the ones you need to be concerned with. SO...the turn signal fuse is pointless because they only work when the key is on. I am betting that it is in the courtesy/clock fuse....and I then would bet it may be in the timer controller for your interior lights..>and I do not mean GAUGE /INSTRUMENT lights...can be int eh alternator also.
DUB
YES...I agree with 'mrvette'. You need to verify your amp draw on the system. And if the car has not been seriously messed with....ONLY the fuses that are hot with current when the key is out of the ignition are the ones you need to be concerned with. SO...the turn signal fuse is pointless because they only work when the key is on. I am betting that it is in the courtesy/clock fuse....and I then would bet it may be in the timer controller for your interior lights..>and I do not mean GAUGE /INSTRUMENT lights...can be int eh alternator also.
DUB
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Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
Likes: 2,754
From: Charlotte NC
THANKS BROTHER!!!! MAN...what a complete mess up. i fixed it so it is now at least something resembling English.I have to type as fast as I am thinking and I go back and correct everything when done....I just did not go up to the first paragraph.
What CLUSTER that was....DANG!
Thanks again so I could correct it.
DUB
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,404
Likes: 791
From: Redondo Beach, California
With a lot of experience in storing Corvettes and not driving them that often, I'm familiar with the dead battery situation. I've read, and I believe, that a lead acid battery....a brand new battery....if allowed to discharge to be dead..will loose 1/3 of its rated capacity forever. That seems to be in agreement with my experience. If it discharges to completely dead a second time...my opinion is that the battery is no longer reliable.
You need to buy a new battery in my opinion. As mrvette suggested, you have to install the battery and with everything in the car off, you need to measure current flow out of the battery...it should be next to nothing. On a C3, when the car is "off" the only thing taking current is the clock..and the stock mechanical clock will only draw current when it re-winds and only a tiny current at that, otherwise the mechanical clock will draw no current.
You need to buy a new battery in my opinion. As mrvette suggested, you have to install the battery and with everything in the car off, you need to measure current flow out of the battery...it should be next to nothing. On a C3, when the car is "off" the only thing taking current is the clock..and the stock mechanical clock will only draw current when it re-winds and only a tiny current at that, otherwise the mechanical clock will draw no current.
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Joined: Jun 2020
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From: north of Chicago
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I hope it has been on a charger for the last 5 years