C4 - Electric Issues - Help!!
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 23
Likes: 4
C4 - Electric Issues - Help!!
Hi Guys,
would need some help here please:
'87 - 5.7L - Stock condition (no subs or other mods) (the only real mod I can think of is a Summit performance 18:1 starter) - 95K miles
Here's the rundown:
- After 6 months of storage, having had the (8month old) battery out of the car and on a trickle charger for the winter, I plugged her back up and after not starting I noticed that the battery post bolts were loose, so I tightened them more and she started and got me home fine.
- A few weeks later I took her for a drive, after I stop, she wouldn't restart...positive battery post bolt came loose, so I tightened it. And she started/ran fine. Battery display indicating 11,4V - So I put the trickle charger on the battery.
- Next day, while driving around, everything just died. Pulled her over, again same thing, positive post bolt, tighten by hand (But I got a solid spark from the positive terminal - burnt my finger) - Car works fine. Changed the bolts that day.
- Go for a ride a few days later. Stop for gas. Won't turn over. Boost her, starts right up. Gets me about a mile up the road with the dashboard display all screwy (mostly not lit), sputtering and no power, then completely dies out. Take the battery in, get it replaced for a new one. Make it home.
- Figure it must be alternator. Change it for a brand new 105amp. It is bench tested at 14.6 Volts - Upon installation the dash-board battery display registers at about 10.5V and battery light is on. So I rev it a bit and drive it around (all accessories off), the highest the display gets up to is 11.6V. Battery light goes out. But the volts registered fluctuate between 10 - 11.6 volts. So I trust it enough to go on the highway thinking it will rev and charge up nicely - Nope! The faster I drive it, the less volts I get - was around 9-9.5 volts on highway. Then as I accelerate, around 4000 rpm it cuts out and drops off in power, as if I had totally removed my foot from the gas.
- So I drive it home, have a look, drive belt seems old and may be stretched - so I replace it with a new one. Nice and tight. Car starts runs for a few minutes again with very low volts on the display (9volts or so), then sputters out. Car won't start - so I boost it. Dies right away, as soon as I remove the booster cables.
I don't know what my next move should be. Need Help please.
Thanks.
would need some help here please:
'87 - 5.7L - Stock condition (no subs or other mods) (the only real mod I can think of is a Summit performance 18:1 starter) - 95K miles
Here's the rundown:
- After 6 months of storage, having had the (8month old) battery out of the car and on a trickle charger for the winter, I plugged her back up and after not starting I noticed that the battery post bolts were loose, so I tightened them more and she started and got me home fine.
- A few weeks later I took her for a drive, after I stop, she wouldn't restart...positive battery post bolt came loose, so I tightened it. And she started/ran fine. Battery display indicating 11,4V - So I put the trickle charger on the battery.
- Next day, while driving around, everything just died. Pulled her over, again same thing, positive post bolt, tighten by hand (But I got a solid spark from the positive terminal - burnt my finger) - Car works fine. Changed the bolts that day.
- Go for a ride a few days later. Stop for gas. Won't turn over. Boost her, starts right up. Gets me about a mile up the road with the dashboard display all screwy (mostly not lit), sputtering and no power, then completely dies out. Take the battery in, get it replaced for a new one. Make it home.
- Figure it must be alternator. Change it for a brand new 105amp. It is bench tested at 14.6 Volts - Upon installation the dash-board battery display registers at about 10.5V and battery light is on. So I rev it a bit and drive it around (all accessories off), the highest the display gets up to is 11.6V. Battery light goes out. But the volts registered fluctuate between 10 - 11.6 volts. So I trust it enough to go on the highway thinking it will rev and charge up nicely - Nope! The faster I drive it, the less volts I get - was around 9-9.5 volts on highway. Then as I accelerate, around 4000 rpm it cuts out and drops off in power, as if I had totally removed my foot from the gas.
- So I drive it home, have a look, drive belt seems old and may be stretched - so I replace it with a new one. Nice and tight. Car starts runs for a few minutes again with very low volts on the display (9volts or so), then sputters out. Car won't start - so I boost it. Dies right away, as soon as I remove the booster cables.
I don't know what my next move should be. Need Help please.
Thanks.
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Last edited by LittleRedC-Vette; Jun 21, 2017 at 08:27 PM.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 23
Likes: 4
Maybe it'll seem a little stupid to answer my own question but if it helps someone out...
When I looked at my battery cable junction box (located right between the battery and the firewall - about -7 or 8 wires are screwed together on a stud) I noticed that the nut was loose and all the wires showed sign of corrosion. I used a wire brush to clean them, cleaned the stud, wrapped the wire ends with electric tape and put it all back together --- Dash display indicates 14.2V at idle. Problem solved, easy.
When I looked at my battery cable junction box (located right between the battery and the firewall - about -7 or 8 wires are screwed together on a stud) I noticed that the nut was loose and all the wires showed sign of corrosion. I used a wire brush to clean them, cleaned the stud, wrapped the wire ends with electric tape and put it all back together --- Dash display indicates 14.2V at idle. Problem solved, easy.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 7,708
Likes: 266
From: indy indiana
Maybe it'll seem a little stupid to answer my own question but if it helps someone out...
When I looked at my battery cable junction box (located right between the battery and the firewall - about -7 or 8 wires are screwed together on a stud) I noticed that the nut was loose and all the wires showed sign of corrosion. I used a wire brush to clean them, cleaned the stud, wrapped the wire ends with electric tape and put it all back together --- Dash display indicates 14.2V at idle. Problem solved, easy.
When I looked at my battery cable junction box (located right between the battery and the firewall - about -7 or 8 wires are screwed together on a stud) I noticed that the nut was loose and all the wires showed sign of corrosion. I used a wire brush to clean them, cleaned the stud, wrapped the wire ends with electric tape and put it all back together --- Dash display indicates 14.2V at idle. Problem solved, easy.
