Stumped on starter - killing batteries
#1
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Stumped on starter - killing batteries
Banging my head against the wall on this one......
1. Was having problems with my truck starting, doing the 'click' thing.
2. Then, it had problems starting - slow to turn over, killing my batteries in about 3 or 4 tries.
3. The batteries are: 1 x optima red top & 1 x optima yellow top. You would think with this kind of power, you wouldn't be killing them at all!
4. Put new starter in. All connections look good.....
!!!! Same problem !!!! turn it over 3 or 4 times ---> dead batteries.
The truck runs great when it starts. Push starts super easy. WTF
Any help would be great.
-jeff
1. Was having problems with my truck starting, doing the 'click' thing.
2. Then, it had problems starting - slow to turn over, killing my batteries in about 3 or 4 tries.
3. The batteries are: 1 x optima red top & 1 x optima yellow top. You would think with this kind of power, you wouldn't be killing them at all!
4. Put new starter in. All connections look good.....
!!!! Same problem !!!! turn it over 3 or 4 times ---> dead batteries.
The truck runs great when it starts. Push starts super easy. WTF
Any help would be great.
-jeff
#2
Registered User
First check your charging voltage.
Then check your connections with a DMM during cranking. Put the voltmeter between the positive battery terminal and the engine block, and have a helper crank the engine. Anything more than about 0.3V and your ground wires and terminals need replacement.
Checking the hot side is a bit more fun, you'll need jumper wires, but do the same for the positive wire, from the starter to the positive terminal. Or you could use 2 DMMs and subtract to find the positive side drop.
Then check your connections with a DMM during cranking. Put the voltmeter between the positive battery terminal and the engine block, and have a helper crank the engine. Anything more than about 0.3V and your ground wires and terminals need replacement.
Checking the hot side is a bit more fun, you'll need jumper wires, but do the same for the positive wire, from the starter to the positive terminal. Or you could use 2 DMMs and subtract to find the positive side drop.
#3
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I'd put money on one (or both) of your Optimas being shot.
My brand new Optima Red-Top never even came close to a comparable CCA battery from Wal-Mart. Go figure.
My brand new Optima Red-Top never even came close to a comparable CCA battery from Wal-Mart. Go figure.
#5
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Swap in the battery from your wifes car while she's not looking.
Mine was brand new, and wouldn't cold crank a mild hi-po VW engine after a few minutes. Just saying, it's an easy thing to rule out.
Mine was brand new, and wouldn't cold crank a mild hi-po VW engine after a few minutes. Just saying, it's an easy thing to rule out.
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#8
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There could be something causing a constant drain on your battery or just some bad batteries. Have you hooked a DMM to your battery terminals and watched the voltage drop across the meter while you crank the engine?
#10
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Alternator is good as far as I know. Starter kill batteries even if they have been charged in the house overnight & installed into the truck before starting.
-jeff
-jeff
#11
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Check the voltage at the starter:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...shtml#EasyTest
and trace back to the source of the voltage drop. Likely you have a bad wire or connection some place. The added resistance causes the starter motor to turn over slower than normal. With a series wound motor (like the starter), the slower it turns the more current it pulls out of the battery. More current = dead battery faster.
Check both power and ground connections, you need both to complete the circuit. For a quick test, clamp a jumper cable between battery + and the starter power lug and even try another cable from the body of the starter (a bolt or something) back to the battery - terminal. I had a similar problem in my VW, a jumper from the battery - to the engine block made it work perfect, so I added an additional ground cable to mimic the jumper cable.
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...shtml#EasyTest
and trace back to the source of the voltage drop. Likely you have a bad wire or connection some place. The added resistance causes the starter motor to turn over slower than normal. With a series wound motor (like the starter), the slower it turns the more current it pulls out of the battery. More current = dead battery faster.
Check both power and ground connections, you need both to complete the circuit. For a quick test, clamp a jumper cable between battery + and the starter power lug and even try another cable from the body of the starter (a bolt or something) back to the battery - terminal. I had a similar problem in my VW, a jumper from the battery - to the engine block made it work perfect, so I added an additional ground cable to mimic the jumper cable.
Last edited by 4Crawler; 10-17-2007 at 12:39 PM.
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