DeTomaso Mailing List: July 97, Message #68
     



From: pantera@pobox.com (David Doddek)

Subject: Re: Hot starting troubles solved (and what I learned at the autocross)

Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 23:13:10 -0500 (CDT)



Andy Poling wrote:



>Here's how I fixed my hot starting problems: I took my kitty autocrossing.

>

>Well, OK... not exactly, but I did discover the problem in a roundabout way

>at the autox.

>

>On my second run after an ugly curved slalom the car went dead.  No power,

>no gauges, etc.  The battery had come loose from the tie-down clamping bar

>and had consequently pulled the positive cables out of the battery post

>clamp.  That explained the lack of juice.



Another way to of discovered this would be to try and start the car letting

it crank for a while.  Pulling a coil wire off may help to make it crank

longer and not start.  We all know those fords start right up.  Then go

around and CAREFULLY feel all the wire connections to the battery, starter

and solenoid.  If any of them are hot or even quite warm, then that

indicates a resistance in the circuit.  That resistacnce, even real small,

when exposed to 500 amps will drop considerable voltage.  Under that much

current, the voltage drop will create a considerable amount of heat.  Think

about 500 amps and 1 volt equals 500 watts.  Grab a 500 watt light bulb and

see how hot it is!!!!!!.  So be carefull.  I have even had connections smoke

and melt the wire insulation before because of the heat.  



So keep those connections tight and clean.



David Doddek     pantera@pobox.com    www.pobox.com/~pantera    217-422-3722

69 EFI Fairlane, 89 T-bird SC, 74 Twin turbo NOS EFI Pantera #6825

If you are going to go fast, go real fast.





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