Need help with car not starting!

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ozley_2000

ozley_2000

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Coarsegold, ca
When I first got the car it on occasion would make a single click and not turn over. I have replaced the alternator, the voltage regulator, the battery, and the starter relay. Every time a part gets changed out it work well for a while then then the click happens. What I can tell you is that when the car is running and I put a meter on the batter and I get is 12.11v is this standard? The last bit if info I have is if I try to jump the car off the starter relay it wont even spark. I have a theory that there maybe a fuzeable link hiding somewhere. Thanks for the help Oz
 
Do you have a good ground strap from the engine to the frame? This will cause issues like yours. Did you check the connection at the starter? Your voltage should be higher when running closer to 13.5 or so. does it get higher if you increase the rpm's?
 
New batt new terminals and new ground wires. I also thought that 13.6v is average 12.11 seems very low. I haven't replaced the cable going to the starter or the starter yet. Also I have not cleaned the terminals on the starter. I'm starting to think it is the starter. Has anyone put a starter in a 66 barracuda with a 273 it looks like a real pain in the a$$.
 
Voltage does not increase with the RPMs up. :( I ran a larger 8 gage power wire from the alternator to there starter relay in hopes it would help. I did put a 60 amp fuse in line.
 
On my 67 Dart with 273 I had the little wire going to the starter solinoid short against the
exhaust and burn out. That wire may be close to going or a crappy connection on the starter solinoid. I keep my positive wire on battery a little loose for that purpose - the little wire completely melted and I had smoke coming out from under the hood.
 
I had an issue somewhat the same. After replacing everything it ended up being the positive battery cable. Looked just fine but the wire had broken loose in the lead end! To bad I couldn't return all those parts! I would replace all the positive leads from the battery to the soleniod to the starter. They are cheap. May as well replace the negative too. I bet this will solve your problem.

My cuda also has a bad ignition switch that when I started the car and as soon as I let go of the key it would die. Bad switch!??
 
My money is now on red! I'm going to replace the cable from the batt. to the starter solenoid and also recheck my ground :).

Have a new question the alternator I have has two field post but only one goes to the voltage regulator is there something I should do with the second?

Thanks for all the help! You all rock!
 
All good suggestions, checking for clean battery posts and check grounds at engine block and fire wall. But the correct charging voltage is 14.4. This is checked by bypassing the regulator with a jumper wire. Now with the engine running the alternator's output will be at it's maximum, unregulated. At the battery it should be at least 14.4.Anything less, then you have a problem with the alternator or the wiring.
 
ozley_2000 said:
My money is now on red! I'm going to replace the cable from the batt. to the starter solenoid and also recheck my ground :).

Have a new question the alternator I have has two field post but only one goes to the voltage regulator is there something I should do with the second?

Thanks for all the help! You all rock!
Click to expand...


If memeory serves me correctly, the older non electronice voltage regulators only had one wire field terminal alternators! I believe I have used the newer 2 field wire alternators with the old regulators by hooking the one filed wire from the regulator to one field terminal on the alt. and then grounding the other filed terminal to the block.

As mentioned earlier, REGULATED output voltage should be: 13.8 to 14.2 volts. Now that is at the alterntor battery terminal! What was mentioned earlier about jumpine the field terminal is that you take a jumper lead from the battery treminal @ the alt. to the field terminal putting a full 12 volts to the field windings of the alternator. That will in fact give you FULL alternator output. You don't want to do that for any extended length of time however! Voltage should go you high, 14 plus volts. What voltage are you getting @ the field wire connected to the alt.? Is it the factory alt. or a replacement?
 
Ok here is the update.

Fix #1 New power wire to starter.

Fix #2 grounded unused field connection.

Result now the car starts every time and i have 14.45v at the bat. and it stays steady when the RPMs go up. The only change I am considering is finding a two field voltage regulator. What do you all think? There is a new one field voltage regulator on it now.

Thank you all for you good advice.

Oz!
 
Sounds like your bypassing the regulator and putting full alternator voltage to battery.
At the battery on mine at idle I get 13.2v at idle and get 14.25v if I hold the revs around 3-4k. Also, on mine the wire that goes to the votage regulator(top one) broke at the fire wall and it would start and run with the starter engaged but die when you put key to run position. It was one of the wires on the center firewall plug(I have 3 plugs going into firewall). That wire was loose on the firewall connector for a while and took me a while to figure that one out. One time it died when I closed the hood and then started right back up again. Later I upgrade my voltage regulator to the $20 solid state one sold on ebay and my alternator gauge doesn't bounce around nearly as much.
 
You do need to check that the other terminal coming from the regulator the the "one" field terminal is actually controlled by the regulator as mentioned above 14.45 at idle is a little high voltage or for that matter even above idle it's high. Check the voltage @ the regulator wire going to the field. It should start decreasing in voltage as the battery reaches 13.8 to 14.2 volts, there by turning the alternator towards the no charge state. If you have a steady 12 volts or above and it's not decreasing than the regulator is not good.
 
Voltage was at around 14.37 it dropped a little 14.23 after running for a min. with some RPM's. Will look for a two field wire voltage regulator. Wire seems good from voltage reg. to alternator. Also cleaned all contacts in charging system. Oz
 
So after everything my car ran for 4 days and now will not start come to find out that the post on the starter that goes to the starter relay is loose and cause it to work sometimes and shorts othertimes. Live and learn. Oz

Glad I have an extra starter
 
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