new starter, no power

[joebarthlow]

Installed a new starter on Wednesday. Started it 5-6 times since. This morning got a half crank, then nothing. all power gone. no lights, no crank. fuses looked OK. Obvious connections (battery, starter) look fine. Put a charger on the battery and it said 3 amps. 

 

Bad ground to the battery?

Edited February 29, 2020 by joebarthlow

[Mike Self]

Try this:  Turn your headlights on in a place where you can see 'em from the driver's seat, then with the lights on, turn the key to start.  If the lights stay bright, then the battery is OK and you have either a wiring or starter problem.  If the lights get dim or go out, then you have a battery or grounding problem.

 

Is your battery ground strap a two braid strap--big braided wire to the block, small one to the body?  And are both straps--especially the one to the block--nice and clean at both ends?

 

The fact that the new starter worked OK the first 5-6 times you used it indicates that your wiring and starter hookup is OK, and that either your battery has had a sudden heart attack, or the starter has failed (new/rebuilt ones have been known to do that) .

 

Let us know whatcha find...

 

mike

[joebarthlow]

5 hours ago, mike said:

Try this:  Turn your headlights on in a place where you can see 'em from the driver's seat, then with the lights on, turn the key to start.  If the lights stay bright, then the battery is OK and you have either a wiring or starter problem.  If the lights get dim or go out, then you have a battery or grounding problem.

 

Is your battery ground strap a two braid strap--big braided wire to the block, small one to the body?  And are both straps--especially the one to the block--nice and clean at both ends?

 

The fact that the new starter worked OK the first 5-6 times you used it indicates that your wiring and starter hookup is OK, and that either your battery has had a sudden heart attack, or the starter has failed (new/rebuilt ones have been known to do that) .

 

Let us know whatcha find...

 

mike

 

Battery is dead, no lights at all. I put it on the charger for a few hours. turn the key and the ignition lights came on. turned to crank it and it began to crank then completely shut off, no power again, no lights. battery charger said less than 1 amp. The big ground looks good (not braided type), but there is no ground to the body from the black terminal.

[Dudeland]

You need a ground from the battery to the engine and the body.  Make sure that you have a ground from the alternator to the engine.   Super important. 

 

Charge the battery.  Get it started and report back the voltage when running.  It should be about 13.4 volts. 

 

 

[joebarthlow]

I'm going to clean the battery terminals and recheck all the wires leading to the starter and see it helps. Before replacing the the lead from the battery to the starter and eventually replacing the starter itself, I experienced a couple of times where my battery needed a charge. I chalked it up to freezing temps. not so sure now. Perhaps I should check my alternator to see if it's charging the battery. not sure how to do that. I'll order a new braided grounding cable, but I've been running like this for a few years.

 

here's the reading I got. sorry, not a digital multimeter. my battery charger says 2 amp

 

Edited March 1, 2020 by joebarthlow

[tech71]

How old is this battery?  They do go bad and can still show voltage ect. Got a different one you can drop in as a test? Thats where I would start. That and clean the terminals.

Edited March 1, 2020 by tech71

[joebarthlow]

53 minutes ago, tech71 said:

How old is this battery?  They do go bad and can still show voltage ect. Got a different one you can drop in as a test? Thats where I would start. That and clean the terminals.

 

46 months on a 60 month battery. The battery checked OK on Wednesday when the starter was installed.

Edited March 1, 2020 by joebarthlow

[coloincaalpine RIP 2021]

Batteries will just go south. Even brand new batteries will fail.

[tech71]

Was it load tested? Love that multimeter, its cool.

 

Edited March 1, 2020 by tech71

[Mike Self]

31 minutes ago, tech71 said:

Was it load tested?

That's what you need to do.  Charge the battery overnight,then do a load test.  Most auto parts stores have a load tester and will test for you.  I've had more than one battery that showed a nice 12 volts on a voltmeter and didn't have enough juice to light the dome light!

 

BTW, Walmart has Group 26R batteries for $49.95--about the best price I've found.  Just replaced the 7 year old battery in my '69 with one.  Dunno if you have Rural King stores in OR, but they also have good prices on batteries.

 

mike

 

PS--and +1 on running a ground from the - battery post to ground, and a ground wire from the alternator frame to the engine block.  2002s came with one, and they're necessary.

Edited March 1, 2020 by mike

[Chris_B]

It looks like, if I am interpreting the setting on your multimeter correctly, your battery is reading close to 13V, which is where you want to be. However, you really should take it in to your local car parts shop and have it load tested- the only way to determine it's health. It could be that your new starter is fubar. 

 

Also, you have provided no history. Why did you replace the starter?

[joebarthlow]

5 minutes ago, mike said:

That's what you need to do.  Charge the battery overnight,then do a load test.  Most auto parts stores have a load tester and will test for you.  I've had more than one battery that showed a nice 12 volts on a voltmeter and didn't have enough juice to light the dome light!

 

BTW, Walmart has Group 26R batteries for $49.95--about the best price I've found.  Just replaced the 7 year old battery in my '69 with one.  Dunno if you have Rural King stores in OR, but they also have good prices on batteries.

 

mike

 

Sounds like a plan, I shall do that in the morning. I have the battery on the charger over night. I'll also check connections to starter and alternator. clean battery terminals. I'm a little suspicious since most of that was just disconnected. I'll order a nw braided ground cable too. I'll report back. thanks

[joebarthlow]

10 minutes ago, Chris_B said:

It looks like, if I am interpreting the setting on your multimeter correctly, your battery is reading close to 13V, which is where you want to be. However, you really should take it in to your local car parts shop and have it load tested- the only way to determine it's health. It could be that your new starter is fubar. 

 

Also, you have provided no history. Why did you replace the starter?

 

in December I replaced the cable between the starter and battery as that cable broke at the battery. cleaned up the connections. I drive the car 3-4 times/week during winter and did fine. then last week, while out, on start-up, it slowly turned over a couple times with no start. then nothing. Towed home. put the battery on the charger all night. nothing, no start. Took it to my local shop I trust with older BMWs. They diagnosed the starter and determined it was toast. The starter was old, possibly original. It seemed to also turn a little slow (to the ear). We installed the new starter and it immediately sounded good on startup, like what I would expect, until this morning, when it turned over and died. 

 

Now I am wondering if the lack of proper ground (one to the block, none to the body) actually zapped the starter with the new connection? Killed both starters? Hmmm. Not sure if that explains why I have no power.

[TobyB]

The ground- or lack thereof- didn't kill your starter.

 

You can load- test your battery at home.  Rig up an under- hood starter switch,

make SURE the car is in neutral with the brake set,

then meter the battery posts as you crank.  If the posts hold 10v or more at

cranking, the battery's OK, and you can start metering around to find

your voltage drop.  

 

t

there are several variables here...

[Vicleonardo1]

Joe if you were closer, I have a never used Walmart  26r that has been sitting connected to a battery tender for quite some time. You can use it if you are near Salem and wish to fetch it in the next few days. 

I had similar problems when I had a loose connection to my negative battery terminal. Wouldn't stay tight for some reason. Eventually replaced it an off the shelf cable from NAPA store. No issues since. 

 

PM me if you need my battery. 

 

Vic 

Edited March 1, 2020 by Vicleonardo1