dead battery

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Cuda Hunter

Cuda Hunter

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67 barracuda. 400 727
started fine. Drove to job site.

Went to start it at end of day and it hesitated but started.
Turn lights on and they flicker badly. I push on the headlight switch sideways and the lights turn off. They flicker back and forth when messing with the switch. Running lights and blinkers working. NO headlights.
Proceed to drive it home in the dark with just halo's showing. Couple blocks from my home is a high school foot ball game. Cop in front of high school so I pull into the car wash. Kill motor and wait for a chase vehicle. Then the car won't start again. Jump it and have no lights but have running lights.
Now it's just dead. Gel battery. No burned wires anywhere.
Opinions of what I need to check first? I would assume the alternator but it is basically new with only a few hundred miles on it. Could the headlight switch cause this?
 
Have you tried to temporarily replace the battery with a know good battery?

then assuming it runs checking the charging system etc.
 
Does it still have an ammeter? What did it show during all this? Many causes of this, including a defective battery, something causing a drain in the car, or something wrong in the charging system, not limited to alternator and regulator, or a wiring problem

Get it charged back up and running, and post back here, and we can run you through some tests.
 
Had battery tested at parts store, they said it is good.
Got it on charge right now. Optima red top

gauge was showing 12V. but dropped while running.

I had led halo's installed. They have worked great for around 500 miles.
The actual lights won't turn on which makes me think it's the actual headlight switch. Especially since they flickered when I jiggled the switch and then went out completely.
 
My local Advance Auto Parts has one on the shelf!! Probably a little dusty though!!
 
Either place should have one...probably the same manufacturer regardless of where you buy it.
 
67Dart273 said:
Does it still have an ammeter? What did it show during all this?
Click to expand...
This ^^^^^^^^^^
Observing the ammeter, if there is one hooked up, will pretty much show whether the battery is charging, discharging, or neither.

67Dart273 said:
Get it charged back up and running, and post back here, and we can run you through some tests.
Click to expand...

Cuda Hunter said:
gauge was showing 12V. but dropped while running.
Click to expand...
a. 12 V with engine off is not fully charged
b. Voltage readings are dependent upon where the leads connect.
c. If this is a dash gage, then it would seem your wiring has been modified.
d. Include all the information about the car's electrical system. A '65 is not the same as '75, a '73 Dart equiped originally equiped with high output alternator and rear window defrost is not the same as a Charger, etc. Then what changes or repairs have been made.
 
Mattax said:
This ^^^^^^^^^^
Observing the ammeter, if there is one hooked up, will pretty much show whether the battery is charging, discharging, or neither.
a. 12 V with engine off is not fully charged
b. Voltage readings are dependent upon where the leads connect.
c. If this is a dash gage, then it would seem your wiring has been modified.
d. Include all the information about the car's electrical system. A '65 is not the same as '75, a '73 Dart equiped originally equiped with high output alternator and rear window defrost is not the same as a Charger, etc. Then what changes or repairs have been made.
Click to expand...

I was just waiting for someone to way this.
Yes, aftermarket gauge on dash.

Everything on this car has been modified during it's life.
Mattax said:
This ^^^^^^^^^^
Observing the ammeter, if there is one hooked up, will pretty much show whether the battery is charging, discharging, or neither.




a. 12 V with engine off is not fully charged
b. Voltage readings are dependent upon where the leads connect.
c. If this is a dash gage, then it would seem your wiring has been modified.
d. Include all the information about the car's electrical system. A '65 is not the same as '75, a '73 Dart equiped originally equiped with high output alternator and rear window defrost is not the same as a Charger, etc. Then what changes or repairs have been made.
Click to expand...
 
Not knowing the wiring changes it is hard to advise you. Can you enumerate the functional path from source to headlights?

For example, if stock wiring, the path is from battery.......starter relay stud.........fuse link.......through the bulkhead (RED).........to the ammeter.......through the ammeter......out on BLACK.......to the factory welded splice............off to the headlight switch................through the switch and breaker...........to the dimmer switch............out the dimmer switch on high or low beam wiring.........out the bulkhead connector...........around the fend to the lights..........and finally to a ground point

Every point between............***.............. is a trouble point or connection terminal.
 
So is it running again? What does your voltmeter / ammeter tell you when running? Have you run it at (at least) high idle with a multimeter connected directly to the battery? With the engine warmed and the battery normalized (for charge) the battery should run 13.8--14.2. It should in NO condition be below 13.5 and not above 14.5
 
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