I did the battery test under load and it dropped to 5V while turning the key. I have a very poor battery charger and think it is time to invest in a new one. Also I found the one of my wires on my alternator was not plugged in so when it was running it was draining the battery. Thanks for the info guys.

 

When checking a battery under load (turning the starter over) the battery should never drop below 9.6 volts or there will not be enough voltage to power the ignition.

Also the only way to check a battery starter circuit is to preform a load test on all components ie Battery, solenoid, starter armature, grounds and cables

This is accomplished by putting the positive lead of your multimeter on the positive side of the battery and the negative lead on the negative terminal then turn starter over and check for voltage drop if it drops to zero battery is the problem if not move to next negative location which would be the post on the starter solenoid that connects from the negative battery post wire load test by turning starter over, if ok then move negative meter lead to other side of solenoid and load test if ok then move negative meter lead to Starter and load test and so on and so on.

As the other fellows mentioned a multimeter is your best friend especially if he has another friend by the name of ampclamp for testing amperage.

Hope that wasn't too wordy for ya.

Rick.

 

Dropped to 5V and it's a new battery? Charge it up, and take it back to where you bought it. If they have a load tester have them load test the battery. If not find a parts store most can do it for free. Just make sure the battery is charged.

 

Rick, I know what you meant here even tho it isn't what you said. ;)

Yeah, there's a cut off point down there somewhere and you can hear it
in the starter and you-know-something's-not-quite-right but the voltage
going down like that tells you've got relatively good connections all the
way to the starter. :) But for sure... 9+1/2 volts is pretty dangged low. :)

The phrase "voltage drop" has a special meaning so I re-worded that while
I was at it. Not saying I haven't worded some of my posts the same way
you did tho! ;) But I do try not to.

The negative lead can be moved to the engine to test the battery to engine
cable.

Usually moving the leads farther into the circuit (the way Rich describes) is
when the voltage stays at ~12 volts at the battery when the ignition switch
is turned to "start". Meaning there isn't a good circuit to the starter. Or the
starter itself is "open".

See it? :)

With a real good battery (and everything else) the voltage on the battery will
go down to like 11 volts. If it doesn't do that then the starter isn't drawing
the battery down like it should.

There's only so many angles to this thing, it ain't that complicated. :)

Cowboy's experience with the battery voltage dropping;) down to 5 volts
tells me it's prob'ly just the battery keeping it from starting at this point, and
nothing else.

We won't know that for sure until a good battery is tried and readings taken.

The loose wire on the alternator being reconnected prob'ly fixed that circuit
and was prob'ly the source of all the trouble.

Alvin in AZ
ps- a "voltage drop" reading would be like you had... one meter lead on
one end of a long cheap jumper cable and the other lead on the other end
of the same cable and you detected a one volt reading on the meter as the
starter was engaged that reading is called a "voltage drop".

 

There can be voltage drops from a bad starter or battery cables as well as solenoid and connections (Grounds).

Remember he did say he charged the battery and still had the same problem.

Also he mentioned that he did the timing and that he set it to TDC and we both know if that was not done correctly it will also affect the turning over of the starter to some degree.

I would say charge battery then check SG should be around 1.275 or higher most layman call it 1275, and then load test battery a good resistor style load tester is usually only about $15 to $30 at an auto supply store and they will show you how to use it.


Rick.

 

Yeah but. :)

He ran it dead and tried to recharge himself but it didn't work.
Could be the battery is shot now from all this.
No sweat, they get bad ones all the time and can replace it.

In my experience (IME) have found the battery load testers to give false
positive readings. I have zero confidence in them and more than once
showed that to the owners of them too and they too soon had a low
opinion of load testers after I got done with 'em. ;)

Believe it?

Don't believe the "hype n jive" that was used to sell the equipment.

Like Rick said the whole starter system can be tested (not just the battery)
with a voltmeter and a little know how. No money in that method tho. ;)

A lot of people don't know that a battery doesn't slowly fade away near the
end of its life, instead it goes a little whacko. ;)

Jump it or charge it and it's fine for a day or a week and then, wham, it's
acting dead again, they'll do that a few times usually.

First time it acts like that "git-chur meter out"! :)
Jump it, get it started, check the charging circuit.

When someone needs a jump (I'm the fruit cake that sees it and responds
first) I always ask... "how old's your battery? :)" ...as I hook up the jumper
cables.

Quite a few times the jump didn't work and it was their jumper cables (out
and ready) that are no good and mine worked fine. Sometimes the it's their
battery connections (etc) and the meter finds them and once I fix those the
sucker doesn't need a jump. LOL :)

Alvin in AZ

 

Heat and vibration damage the battery and Cold shows those problems.

Thems the rules.


Unless of course you go ahead and freeze the battery then we're talking a whole different ball game.

Rick.

 

For sure. :)

But I was being too picky in the use of the phrase "voltage drop".

That's a particular type of voltage reading, it's a reading "across a resistance"
in a circuit, with current. That resistance could be in any of those things you
listed.

As opposed to "the battery voltage lowering" when the starter is engaged.

Yeah, it's obvious to me now, I was being silly about it. :)

I was caught in the "Sears DieHard battery scam" for years and years. :/
They wouldn't out-last their warranty so you'd go in they'd pro-rate it and
sell you another one. Cool, huh? :)

Not living in town made it pretty irritating to take 'em a bad battery only
to refuse the pro-rating that day and send me packing with a "load tested"
battery that'd fail again in about a week.

There's more than one way to skin a kid with the latest Snap-On battery
tester. ;) Pour half the acid out and re-fill it with water before you take it
in the first time.

Then a friend told me they'd give you cash on your pro-rated credit. :)
Never bought another stinkin DieHard since. :)

Alvin in AZ

 

I can't tell how many times I've seen folks that have starting or charging problems that replace starters then battery then alternator then regulator heck they get so frustrated and then they ask can you have a look Rick and low and behold it's a bad connection at the ground or one or both of the battery cables is crap.

As you say it really isn't that complicated but it get's a lot of folks and usually the auto parts stores either don't know or don't care to help the poor customer out.

Which is dumb in my books because if you helped the customer out even if you didn't make a sale that customer is now a lifetime loyal customer who is going to tell their friends that's the place to go for help and parts.

I know kinda LOL.

But good discussion.


And if it stops one person from just going out and buying a battery it was all worthwhile.

Rick.

 

Yea I have a story to go along with that whole connection thing...

6 or 7 years ago I'm pushing carts at the local grocery store where I was working. This fella comes out and his car wont start, he pops the hood and is looking at it like a 7 year old trying to read arabic. I go ask him whats up? I noticed the golfball size corrosion growing out of his negative cable on the battery terminal. I said go buy a coke, lets clean up this connection thats gotta be why. After pouring the coke on and getting rid of his corrosion literally the cable ended where the connector should have been. He drove this thing with probably a paper clip size connection from the ground to the - terminal. Keep everything CLEAN!! lol

 

Cool one. :)
I have a story to go with your story. ;)

A Mexican gal was having trouble so as I walked up to ask about needing
a jump "no, it's ok, thank you (pretty smile goes here;)" her friend walks
up with a coke and dribbles a little on each terminal and tells her to "try it"
the starter was weak sounding but started and off they went. :)

Alvin in AZ

 

I tried asking a girl that once.....didn't turn out that way though haha jk

 

Since we are in the story telling mode. I remember when I had my '77 Bonneville, and the battery wen't dead. I am in a parking lot, guy pulls up, and ask if I need a jump. I looka nd say yeah, that would be appriciated, he pauses and "Oh, what size motor is that?" I say "a 301". He ask back "is that a 8 Cylinder motor?" I reply "yes". He then says "Oh I only have a 4 Cylinder motor, I don't have the power to jusmp that."

I was like "WTF", he says "Sorry I can't give you a jump."

Oh and one little bit to add, if you do get a jump, don't think cause you may have driven your car around town for may an hour or so that your battery should be charged and fine. You will most likly come out the next morning and find it's dead again.

When you get home you should disconnect the battery and charge up the battery with a charger.

 

while I am waiting for some money to roll in is there anything I can do that might help my starting problem. for example clean around ground connection, or any more test? I am still going to get a new charger and charge the battery but I have found that I am bored and dont feel proactive on fixing this problem. anything you guys could tell me that I could work on my truck while I am waiting?

 

Charge your battery with someone else's vehicle. :)
(carry it to their vehicle and sit in on the ground)

The trick is to never let their alternator be freed from the load a battery
provides! :) That can be bad. ;)

So with good jumper cables start their vehicle, jumper to your battery,
everything nice and solid so the clamps won't slip off.

Have the meter on "their side of it" to see the voltage lower when your
battery is added to their charging circuit. That way you know the jumpers
are working right.

...then carefully lift one of their clamps.
Watch the meter as you lift their clamp! :)

If you see the needle move up any more than a volt or so then shove the
clamp back down on their battery quick. ;)

If the voltage goes way up then the jumpers aren't doing what they are
supposed to be doing or your battery is "open". That's an extra test. :)

The voltage going down when your battery was added to their charging
system should have covered this but never hurts to be careful with other
peoples stuff. ;)

Give it at least a half hour and the engine needs to be revved up a little,
you can see its effect on the meter. It won't be perfect but maybe the
sorry sucker will start your pickup with the help of a jump at that point?

-----------------------------

I've never read the voltage of unloaded alternator to see what it puts out
but seems to me it's well over 30 volts and heard of guys running electric
drills from it, the particular drills ran on AC or DC just needs to be up around
100 volts DC, or something like that?

------------------------

"clean around ground connection"

Uhhhh... take 'em off and clean under 'em instead? ;)

Make shiny exposed metal (like preparation for soldering) then clamp 'em
back down, then oil the connection so it stays protected from oxygen.

Motor oil works great for that, it has chemical buffers in it and it's thin so it
coats everything real good. We had special grease for that job and motor
oil worked better IME, no kidding.

Alvin in AZ
ps- keep plugging away at this thing and you'll be the ex-spurt! :)
pps- you can do it. :)