Battery not charging
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Joined: May 2015
Posts: 97
Likes: 4
From: Chicago
Battery not charging
While stopped at a light the other day in my 69 (350/300), I heard a loud pop under the hood like a firecracker, however, the engine continued to run smooth and luckily I was only a minute from the house. Checked under the hood and couldn’t see anything that would have caused that noise. Drove it the next day a bit (everything again fine) and then parked it. A few days later, tried starting the car and the battery was completely dead. It was an older battery and I simply replaced it with a new one and the car started up as normal, but I noticed the battery gauge was showing a discharge and not going back to the normal position that would show the system is charging. I guess that explains the dead battery! I had the alternator checked (first year for internal regulator) and it’s good. Sorry for the long winded explanation, but I need some help to diagnose the problem. I admit I don’t have much experience with electrical issues, or what steps to go through to isolate the issue. Could the horn relay be bad? Any thoughts would be appreciated!!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 979
Likes: 258
From: Maryland
While stopped at a light the other day in my 69 (350/300), I heard a loud pop under the hood like a firecracker, however, the engine continued to run smooth and luckily I was only a minute from the house. Checked under the hood and couldn’t see anything that would have caused that noise. Drove it the next day a bit (everything again fine) and then parked it. A few days later, tried starting the car and the battery was completely dead. It was an older battery and I simply replaced it with a new one and the car started up as normal, but I noticed the battery gauge was showing a discharge and not going back to the normal position that would show the system is charging. I guess that explains the dead battery! I had the alternator checked (first year for internal regulator) and it’s good. Sorry for the long winded explanation, but I need some help to diagnose the problem. I admit I don’t have much experience with electrical issues, or what steps to go through to isolate the issue. Could the horn relay be bad? Any thoughts would be appreciated!!
Pro
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 729
Likes: 118
From: Kelowna British Columbia
There is a fusible link mid firewall that goes to the ammeter. If you put a voltmeter across the battery without starting you should get 12 volts. Start and you should see 13.8 from alternator spinning. If you don't go back to the alternator output and see if you have 13.8 volts. Then follow back to battery. Make sure your ground from battery to frame is good. I would take it off frame, clean and reinstall
