Last summer I had issues w/ the starter over heating and then it died at the end of the summer I replaced it and it was all good, this past winter I would start the SB up and it would run for a while then I would shut it down, towards the end of the winter the battery died so I replaced it w/ a bigger battery more cold cranking amps etc, then the start of spring the new starter died on me. Only after about 40 drives on it. so I replaced that and it ran good for awhile, then the bigger battery died so I replaced that, well today I went out to start her up for a little drive and the brand new battery had no volts, nothing, maybe the battery isnt getting charged while driving, I dont know, the gauges says about 14 amp's while driving, I replaced both fenders and the front bumper didnt mess w/ any wiring can someone help me. I am thinking it is the alternator. Or a ground some where.
Take the alternator to Autozone for a free diagnostic test. Your reading of 14 amps is too low. Also, make sure you have #2 battery cables.
thanks alot i will try that today, also i replacced the ground wire from the alt to the battery, is there a chance that the one i bought may be to long, the battery is a post battery, and the ground is longer then the one before
battery drain Disconnect the battery cable and then hook a tester between the battery terminal and the cable to see if there is any drain when the sw is off. Also get the alt tested like the other fella said. replace any battery cables that look eaven doubtful. clean the battery terminals and cable connecters and coat them with a paste of wheel bearing grease mixed with baking soda to prevent corrosion. dont get any inside the battery cells.
i took the lemon to autozone and got it tested and it was putting out 50 amps and 14 volts, the guy said that it was all rgiht, he said i should look into getting a bigger alt, for 40 more dollars i can get one that only puts out 13 more amps, i am going to check for some broken wires or something, this car is starting to piss me off, thanks alot guys
Sometimes a slipping belt will cause your battery to not get fully charged.........especially after periods where you have been using a lot of accessories like heater, wipers, headlights and (if you got one) rear window defroster all at the same time. :bglasses:
no heater, no drving in the rain, no rear defrost, but did have a loose belt, tighten that up, today, lets see where that goes. thanks
A loose belt did that to me once. I didn't notice the problem until summer break. When at school I usually only drove to visit home - over an hour. When I was home, making short trips, the battery drained quickly.
still not working, the volts this morning where down to 11, from 12 that night before, there is a clicking nosie coming from what i think is the heater box inside the cab, possblie broken switch or somthing, everytime i disconnect the ground off the alternator, i hear this click noise untill the wire is completely off the alternator. what do you think
Short Like Doc posted, sounds like you have a short some where? Anyway, as he posted take your positive cable off and put a test light between the post and the cable end while its off and key off. If the light is lit (any at all) it indicates that something is on or shorting out your system. If it is on, now the fun begins tracking down where it might be? Old cars is fun!!! :beer Good luck!
Electrical Problems Are The Worst!! Nothing like standing on your head, trying to pull fuses and trace old wiring! Fastest way I know to narrow down the guilty circuit: 1) Make sure the key is off and that everything else is turned off. Take the negative cable loose from the battery. 2) Put a volt meter or test light between the battery terminal and the cable. If there is a short, the meter will show volts or the test light will be on. 3) One at the time, pull each fuse out of the fuse box and replace them. Don't forget to either do this with the doors closed (not fun) or test that circuit first, then pull ALL the courtesy light bulbs. 4) When you pull a fuse and the meter drops to zero or the test light goes out, that is the circuit with the problem. Trace out the wires and see if you can locate a break, bare conductor, etc. You might be on to something since you are saying there is a clicking noise from the heater box. The blower motor or fan switch may have problems. disconnect the electrical connections on the A/C box under the hood first to see if that puts out the light or drops the meter to zero. By the way, this is one heck of a lot easier if you have someone to watch the light/meter while you pull fuses rather than getting in and out of the car! Good luck! My Firebird has had an electrical drain for over 5 years. THAT's how much I like chasing these gremlins! :laugh: Let us know how it goes.
Mine used to do that.......it ended up being the glovebox light switch. It would go out when I closed it, I would have the tester connected and it showed no draw. During the night it would mysteriously come back on. uzzled: Then low and behold, a few days later the battery would be drained. :rant: The way I found it was by letting it sit with the tester connected without touching anything and then when I came out to check the tester the next day there it was......and when I opened and closed the glovebox it went away again. I replaced the switch and haven't had a problem since. There was a gremlin in that switch! :laugh:
re Sounds to me like the voltage regulator is shot. This would be where i would start. They are cheap and easy to replace.
so now I have been taking off the negative power line to the alternator , to save the battery from getting drained, when I notice this clicking noise from inside the car, well I think I traced back to the heater box area, well the other day I drove the lemon around a little and parked it, when I noticed that once I turn the wheel to lock it in that I heard that same noise from under the dash, so now once I am done driving I lock the wheel in and the battery doesnt drain. What do you think now?
I think it's possessed! :laugh: If this is the case where you can make sure the wheel is locked and it won't drain the battery, it sounds like my stupid Honda. Lot's of times the key fob won't unlock or lock the doors. It won't do anything. If I press the trunk release button on it twice, the trunk pops open and then the door locks will open. Weird little car. o No: The only thing that comes to mind is perhaps the ignition switch isn't actually going all the way to off? That sounds good but I know it goes Start - Ignition On - Ignition Off - Lock - Accessory. Maybe it goes back into the accessory position? OK, I'll admit it, I haven't got a clue what is wrong. Have you tried this with a test light or volt meter?
If you do get a light then go to the fuse box and pull the fuses and if the light is off put one fuse in at a time till you have the light back. That would be your grounded circuit. Yes it's possible to have more than one ground but not likely. If you pull all the fuses and still have the light then its before the fuse box. Good luck!! Dave Berry
First off does your horn work? I am trying to remember if our cars have a horn relay (I think they do). If your horn is not working or unhooked can it be that your contacts in the horn button are connecting when you turn your wheel and working the horn relay. That could be the clicking that you are hearing. See if that makes sense. Thanks Rick
