wierd starting problem.

[JoshC]

Alright, i've got my brothers 92 Sport to drive while mine is down for steering issues. He told me that i would have to get a battery for it cause his was dead. So i take mine out and take it with me to put in his truck. When i got there i thought i'd just try to see if it would start and it started fine. With the key on the guage showed a good voltage reading and when it was running the alternator was putting out good to. So i let it run for a few minutes then turn it off and go back inside. A while later when i went to leave i got in and turn the key on and almost no life at all was showing. Some of the "key on" lights were just barely lit and when i turned the key nothing happened. So i jump start it no problem. Took off and it ran great, charged good, all the lights worked, no funky guage readings at all. I was getting off the interstate and i thought i'd turn it off to see if it would start back while it was rolling and it wouldn't. As soon as i turned the key, the lights went out, so i just poped the clutch to bump it. Got down the road a piece to pick up a few things and stalled it (of course that's my luck) and i was not in a good part of town at all! No soul around (i was hoping anyways) so i called a friend to come and give me a jump. He got there and nothing, couldn't get it to do anything except just barly turn over, so i had him pull me to bump it again. Got it going fine. Well, on the way home i was fulling with the heater and i noticed that when i turn the heater on full blast i can visually see a "jolt" on the guage and on the head lights.

I think the truck has a bad starter and is drawing to many amps. I think the battery is fine. But i don't know what would have caused that jolt. But i need help cause the truck is in the drive way and won't hit a lick! Nothing like having 2 lifted explorers at the house and can't drive either of them, lol!

 

[Garth]

We know you must have done a few test already. Like checking to make sure that the battery terminals are clean and everything is connected ok.

 

[JoshC]

No i haven't done jack yet. Just from hooking up the jumper cables twice nothing seemed out of order, like loose and although it was dark, i didn't notice them being dirty.

 

[Alec]

No, seems like the cables or terminals to me.

 

[Garth]

I would give the battery post a light scrub and also the inside of the cable hookup to make sure that its making full contact. Next I would follow the ground wire and check for corrosion. I have heard tells of the cables corroding and making intermitten contact.

 

[JoshC]

Ground cable is a good idea, i'll check that in the morning.

But i just went outside and look and it's hooked up tight and no corrosion, but the battery itself is not tied down. Not sure it that makes a difference.

Anyone know exactly where the ground hooks up at?

 

[Billy177]

test the resistance from the - terminal to a ground

 

[Alec]

Um, the battery should be restrained dude.

 

[JoshC]

I know it's suppose to be restrained, but i don't know why he doesn't have a strap across it at least, but i wasn't sure if that would cause this problem or not. I'm going outside here in a while to see about the ground cable.

How do i test the resistance Billy? I've got a digital multimeter if that's what i'm suppose to use.

 

[TravisC]

Originally posted by JoshC
I know it's suppose to be restrained, but i don't know why he doesn't have a strap across it at least, but i wasn't sure if that would cause this problem or not.

It is restrained but not all that well. It's got a clamp or whatever on the bottom that you tighten down with a screw driver.

 

[Billy177]

ya the multimeter just set it to ohms and put one point on teh negitive battery terminal and one to a good ground

 

[JoshC]

The battery just slides a little bit, not like it's bouncing around.

But this morning when i went out to take a look at it everything looked fine. I check the soleniod, both cables, starter, battery. Nothing look out of place. So i tried to start it and of course nothing, so i thought i'd just the soleniod and that did it, fired right up. So i kept it running and went to buy one. Got home and i thought i'd try to turn it off and start it back up and it did. It's been starting all day. But i have the soleniod just in case. I guess i moved a loose wire, but i can't find that wire.