DeTomaso Mailing List: April 1997, Message #65
     



From: MikeLDrew@aol.com

Subject: Re: Battery Problem

Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997 21:54:40 -0400 (EDT)



Nobbie,



Full disclosure:  my knowledge of electrics is pretty slim; it all seems like

voodoo to me.  That said, I've experienced some of the same problems from

time to time.



Methinks perhaps your starter is drawing too much current.  It sucks mondo

juice out of the battery, which is why the ammeter goes to the wall once the

alternator comes on line.



As to reasons for this?  Well, besides the obvious (bad starter), could be a

tired battery cable and/or bad connections.  Are your terminal connections

corroded?



Battery performance is closely linked to temperature.  As the temp drops,

battery performance starts to dip, then falls off a cliff, but this usually

isn't a factor until temps drop below freezing.



One of my motorcycles had a battery problem for awhile; the battery barely

turned the engine over when cold, but if the bike sat in the sun all day, it

fired right up.  Replacing the battery cured it (although deep-freeze starts

were still noticibly more difficult, the engine turning over much more

slowly)



I had TERRIBLE starting problems with my Pantera.  I suspected a bad battery,

but took it to Sears who tested it and pronounced it okay.  I then spent a

year jerking around (pulling and testing the alternator, for example), only

to find that in fact the battery WAS bad.  I finally got another battery and

my problems ended right then and there.



Here's an experiment to try when the wife's not looking.  Yank the battery

out of HER car and hook it up in place of yours.  Go throught your starting

drill; if the car starts up and the ammeter still goes wacky, look elsewhere.

If all looks normal, the battery is probably marginal.



In that case, put it in your wife's car! :>)



If in fact your relatively new Die-Hard is bad, Sears should take care of you

and replace it free (or at least give you lots of credit towards a new one,

since battery warrenties are pro-rated.)



Remember when testing a battery, not only use an electrical load tester

(Sears will check any battery for free), but also use the floating-balls

tester, the turkey-baster type with the floating balls that tell Ph and thus

the ability of the battery to hold a charge.  My VW's battery had five

perfectly good cells, and one that was completely bad.  This is enough to

wipe out the battery.



Good luck, and keep us posted!



Mike