DeTomaso Mailing List: April 1997, Message #59
     



From: Dick Williams <dcwilliams@premier.net>

Subject: Re: Battery Problem

Date: Tue, 08 Apr 1997 10:04:44 -0500



This post brings up the subject of the electrical system in the Pantera

and I am surprised not to have heard more of it since I became a member

of this forum.  I, personally, have had various electrical problems on a

very consistent basis since I owned the vehicle (7 yrs).  Because of my

lack of knowledge in the area I have been scanning POCA newsletters etc.

for information on the subject but have had very little luck.  Can

anyone in the group steer me (and Nobbie for his problem) to some good

material on Pantera electrical systems.



If I were to rate the various components of my #4726 today I would place

the electrical system at the bottom.  That's how much trouble I have

had.



Thanks gentlemen, Dick (Do we have any females in this group?)



Nobbie wrote:

>

> Funny thing happened Monday morning. Hopped in the car at 8am (7am by

> daylight savings time), and conducted my normal cold-start routine. Crank

> the motor before de-activating the kill switch. Bad sound. WHIRR Whirr

> whirrrrrr....  Uh oh. Turned off the kill switch and tried to start the

> car. Nothing.

>

> Found another way to work and when I came home 11 hours later, the car

> fired right up! The ampmeter needle flew way to the right, but after a few

> minutes (seconds?) it settled just to the right of center. Ran the car for

> a while. Then turned it off and immediately restarted it about ten times.

> No problems. Everytime I restarted it, I noticed the ampmeter needle

> jumping way to the right, then settling back to just right of center.

>

> The car had been sitting since Friday evening, and the temps over the

> weekend had dipped to the low to mid 50s. (The Pantera lives outside. I

> have no garage space at this time.) I've got 20W-50 in the motor. The

> battery is a Sears Die-Hard made less than a year ago. And I have that

> flickering GEN light that comes on intermittent when hitting bumpy roads

> and braking, but isn't flickering in unison with the ampmeter (meaning the

> ampmeter reflects no change when the GEN light comes on.)

>

> Any thoughts?

>

> I'm now hearing bad things about Die-Hard batteries. That they're not as

> die-hard as they used to be or that they're advertising would have you

> believe.

>

> Should I just get a gel-cell battery and be done with it? Should I do a

> trickle charge every weekend? I've heard of the Optima, but what about the

> lighter and more powerful Predator I've seen at Pantera Performance Center

> in Colorado? Anybody have any luck with either of them?

>

> Nobbie

> #3766 (still looking good!)