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Topic: What's killing my battery??

in Forum: C3 Electrical


What's killing my battery??

Posted: 12/14/06 6:55am Message 1 of 13
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Hilliard, OH - USA
Joined: 11/2/2006
Posts: 23
Vette(s): 1976 Corvette, originally dark green, currently black with grey cloth interior. Very nice shape!
I'm having some interesting issues with my '76 vette and hoping someone can help!

I've never had problems starting the car at all in the 2 months i've had it. The other day, i drove it across town with no problems, then it sat for about an hour. When i went to start it back up, it wouldn't start. It would turn, but no starting. I got it flatbedded back home, and changed the 15 year old battery (!!!!). Put a new heavy duty battery in it, and the car roared right to life! Awesome!
 
Fast forward to the next day. Brand new battery that is fully charged. I drive about 15 minutes to my friends house, park the car in the driveway for 10 minutes. I try to start it up, and nothing. Same dead battery! This time, I jumped it off of a 350Z and got it going again.

Now im sure you're saying it's the alternator, but i checked the voltage of the battery (the new one) before i drove yesterday, and it was about 12.5v DC, then when i turned the car on, it went up to about 14v DC. It certainly SEEMS like it's working. I guess i didn't really check the amps though.

Does this SOUND like an alternator problem?

Any help is great.

Thanks!



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What's killing my battery??

Posted: 12/14/06 7:16am Message 2 of 13
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Eastern Oklahoma County, OK - USA
Joined: 1/3/2006
Posts: 1560
Vette(s): 1980 Black L48 T-Tops
It is possible that your starter is getting hot.  They make heat blankets to keep them cooler. 

It might be worth driving it around and pulling back in your drive and check the temp of the starter.  Way too hot to touch is way too hot.  It should be hot but not header hot.



What's killing my battery??

Posted: 12/14/06 7:27am Message 3 of 13
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Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
It could be a loose/corroded connection at the starter solenid, or even a bad ign. switch. I have also seen corroded terminals at the firewall pass-thru(at the fuse box) that will cause enough of a voltage drop to not feed the "start" terminal of the solenoid properly. Hooking it up to another vehicle to "boost" it off will supply enough voltage to start it.

Check the connections at the starter first, and make sure the ground cable is good at the frame under the batt. box, and from the frame to the engine at the starter area.
If you have a volt meter, hook it up to the purple wire(closest wire to the engine side of the solenoid) on the solenoid, and check the voltage while cranking. It should be at least 12v. This will help determine if the start wire is getting full voltage. If it is not getting 12v when the car doesn't want to start, the problem is in the wiring/connections from the ign. switch.


Joel Adams
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What's killing my battery??

Posted: 12/14/06 2:47pm Message 4 of 13
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Australia
Joined: 5/6/2004
Posts: 535
Vette(s): 71 Coupe Black on Black
I'd be looking for a bad earth as Joel says.  If there's grunge in the joint it can create a high resistance as it gets hotter. 


What's killing my battery??

Posted: 12/14/06 4:27pm Message 5 of 13
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williamston, NC - USA
Joined: 1/19/2006
Posts: 353
Vette(s): 1969 coupe, 350, m22 trans, ac, black on black,
 do you have headers on the car...,,if so id say the starter is getting too hot,,if not, you  either have a bad terminal on the wiring or you have a ford gemlin


What's killing my battery??

Posted: 12/21/06 5:13pm Message 6 of 13
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Frederick, MD - USA
Joined: 2/20/2003
Posts: 548
Vette(s): Frederick County Corvette Club (Maryland) Tan 64 365 Hp Conv 4 sp Red 72 4 sp Conv ..running a '68 327 Blue 76 Coupe L 48 4 sp White 79 Coupe L 82 auto Silver 98 Conv, 6 sp 35th Anniv '88 vette
If the car is turning over it most likely is not the battery...

If it does NOTHING after a 15 minute drive I would suspect heat sink problems... drive it 30 minutes and RETURN home... shut it down for 3-4 minutes and try to start it.. IF nothing happens pour a quart of water directly on the starter...of it starts...ya got the old heat sink problem...

Ground... ?? clean the connections...especially the rear frame to battery connection..is you still have the problem  ( cable over 30 years just may be corroded INSIDE...been there done that...   Just take a jumper cable and connect the neg post of the battery to someplace on your frame...now you know you have a good ground ....

Bob G.





Bob
64,72 & 98 Corvette Ragtops
76 & 79 & qa 88 ANC Corvette Coupes

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What's killing my battery??

Posted: 12/22/06 5:30am Message 7 of 13
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Grand Blanc, MI - USA
Joined: 8/7/2002
Posts: 544
Vette(s): 1979, 350sb, as my kids affectionately call it "shit brown" Corvette purchased in 1996. 84,000+ miles. Not a show car, but I love her just the same.
I'm interested to hear how this turns out, please keep us posted on your progress with tracking this problem down!  I have had this problem occassionally, and I think it is a heat sink issue with the headers and starter.  I just haven't gotten the heat shield blanket yet.  I will be looking for what you find out about yours.


What's killing my battery??

Posted: 12/22/06 6:17am Message 8 of 13
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Frederick, MD - USA
Joined: 2/20/2003
Posts: 548
Vette(s): Frederick County Corvette Club (Maryland) Tan 64 365 Hp Conv 4 sp Red 72 4 sp Conv ..running a '68 327 Blue 76 Coupe L 48 4 sp White 79 Coupe L 82 auto Silver 98 Conv, 6 sp 35th Anniv '88 vette

My 76 never has been bitten by the heat sink problem...BUT both my 72 and 79 suffered from it ...

I solved the problem years ago very cheaply on the advice given me by a young lady who was the crew chief (yea and she knew her stuff) on her husbands sprint  car... 

She recommended that I replace the stock solenoid spring with a AC DElco GM spring Number 1958679   ...  I did that maybe 10-15 years ago and I  have never had the problem again...

This spring felt and looked the same as the stock spring but was not nearly as strong as the stock spring...thus it required much less electrical energy to compress ..  

I was so Happy that I replaced the Solenoid spring in all 3 of my C3's and my Chevelle and to be honest none of the cars ever had the hot start problem again...

Unfortunately I think that GM has discontinued the spring...at least that is
what I have heard...   Darn think only cost about 5 bucks... 

Maybe this spring is available from another source now I do not know but
from what I understand The Sprint car and Modified Racers almost to a man (or gal) ran this spring all the time...

Bob G.

 



Bob
64,72 & 98 Corvette Ragtops
76 & 79 & qa 88 ANC Corvette Coupes

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What's killing my battery??

Posted: 12/22/06 6:21am Message 9 of 13
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Roseland, NJ - USA
Joined: 12/4/2003
Posts: 966
Vette(s): 1974, 454 with 4 on the floor, matching numbers.
My problem was caused by an old corroded battery cable to the starter. I eventually discovered the problem when the cable came loose enough to make contact with the frame causing a fire. No serious damage done but scared the crap out of me.
My headers weren't much help either, the heat created by my BB is unbelievable ! So, while changing the cable we installed a heat shield and  wrapped the starter with a heat pad. 



What's killing my battery??

Posted: 12/22/06 7:25am Message 10 of 13
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Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
As a added thought to Bob's post, there is also another neat "trick" to help with hot start issues, that we discovered back in the day on the race cars.
You can install a(please excuse my language here) Ford starter solenoid on the car, under the hood, and with just a couple of minor wiring mods, completely solve the GM starter solenoid issues. I've done this on countless race cars, boats, and many service trucks w/big-blocks. Works EVERY time. It won't solve any loose connection issues, or make a bad starter become new again, but it will eliminate the cheesey solenoid as a source of no start problems.


Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    

My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)
             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

in Forum: C3 Electrical


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