[planecrazydale]

Hi all,

Just wanted your opinion on this issue with my 71:

When I go to start it, it often cranks slowly like the battery is low, but will eventually start up. Lately, if I just do a short drive, it will sometimes not fire and the battery will actually go dead and I will require a boost. (will almost always start after a longer drive, but still cranks slowly at first)

The amp gauge is not showing that I am getting any kind of negative discharge. (and it is working fine)

So, would you figure it is a battery issue or could it still be the alternator? Or maybe both? (the battery is only a couple of years old)

Just wondering which I should start with first.

Thanks for your help!

Dale

 

[390XR7]

could be you have a weak cell or 2 in your battery.check your connections on the battery,make sure they're clean.maybe have a load test done on the battery and that will tell you the state the battery is in.

 

[planecrazydale]

Will check that today, thanks!

Dale

could be you have a weak cell or 2 in your battery.check your connections on the battery,make sure they're clean.maybe have a load test done on the battery and that will tell you the state the battery is in.

 

[Harvey]

I don't know anything about a 71 but if you were talking about a 68 I would say battery and altenator are probably fine. Sounds to me like you have a bad voltage regulator! That is what either under or overcharges the battery. Once the car is running if the altenator was not working battery would soon go all the way dead and even your fuel gauge would start going backwards. Lights wouldn't work nothing. If the battery was bad it wouldn't start after a long drive either. And would go dead or be dead just sitting. When you do drive the car does the battery feel hot when you stop? For some reason that is also an indicator of a bad voltage regulator. Again I don't even know if the 71 has an external voltage regulator or if it is inside of the altenator like newer cars?

 

[Bad69cat]

Could be your regulator as well. I know I'm gonna get chastised for saying this, but one way to find out if your alt/regualtor is good is to pull the neg battery cable while it's running. If it dies, take the alt in to the parts store have them check it on thier spin-test machine. If it checks out, see about getting a regulator while your there....

 

[planecrazydale]

It could be the voltage regulator. I had replaced it at one time with one that turned out to be a real p.o.s., so I just cleaned up mine and re-installed it. Its been fine for a couple of years, so maybe it's really reached its expiry now.

Thanks all for the advice!

Dale

 

[Royce Peterson]

Easy to tell if the charging system is working. Connect a voltmeter to the battery. Start the car. It should read 113.7 - 14.2 volts (no more and no less) with the engine at a fast idle, say 1500 RPM.

If it doesn't, then your charging system is at fault.

If it does read properly, you have a dirty battery connection or a bad battery.

 

[390XR7]

I think Royce meant 13.7 to 14.2 volts not 113.7

 

[Royce Peterson]

Roger that .........

 

[planecrazydale]

Re: Alternator or battery? (or both?) **UPDATED**

Update...Never thought of it prior, but the parts guy suggested the starter may be the culprit. Swapped that out for a new one and also swapped the voltage regulator. Everything is fine now!!

Thanks all for your help!

Dale

 

[Bad69cat]

YOu may want to figure out which one was bad so you have a known good spare there....just in case! ;>) Glad you got it