I need some help

[mrbobs48]

I had my starter rebuilt, I have replaced starter solenoid, voltage regular and have bought 2 new 6 volt batteries. One is a spare. ok the first day I got the starter put back in it started 3 times with no problem. Today all the gauges came up to par , fuel etc. When I hit the starter button everything goes down,like power loss. I wait a few seconds and hook the battery back up everything works like lights fuel gauge. Hit the starter button power loss again. What is going on, im getting PO Oh I have new battery cables and a ground strap, even a rebuilt generator. Everything worked fine before except the starter draged. Help

[Don Coatney]

Sounds to me like you have a dirty battery connection. Remove both battery cables from the battery. Use a battery terminal cleaner (as pictured below) or sand paper to clean both the battery posts and the inside of the post clamps.

[Kevinb71]

You mentioned that you have a new ground strap, but how clean is the area where the ground strap is bolted to?

[mrbobs48]

Both battery cables are new I cleaned both and the ground strap is engine block to firewall. I ground the strap after I sanded off the paint to bare metal on the firewall. Its something else guys. Is the starter locked up and discharging the sytem.

[Scruffy49]

Bad solenoid/relay. I went through over a dozen on my 69 D100 before I got a good one. They were all brand new fresh stock. Boxes said India, China, Taiwan or Mexico. Inside wiring was too light, hit the key to crank it over, wire got hot and sagged, constant draw. Finally paid double the price and got a USA made one with the right internal wiring gauge.

Having the exact same issue on my motorcycle with a factory epoxy sealed starter relay. Battery will last for 3 weeks and is so fragged it cannot be recharged.

[Don Coatney]

When I hit the starter button everything goes down,like power loss. I wait a few seconds and hook the battery back up everything works like lights fuel gauge.

How long does it take you to disconnect the battery? When you disconnect the battery cable is it hot as in are gloves required? When you disconnect the battery are any sparks visible or audable? What kind of battery post clamps are you using?

[Joe Flanagan]

Mine went bad not long ago:

The plunger was fused to the terminals. Starter wouldn't stop cranking and I had to disconnect the battery cables.

[mrbobs48]

I get one click when I try to start the motor. I think the starter is locked. Thats when all the gauges lose power . Going to pull it again tomorrow and take it to another starter repair shop. Battery cables came from Andy B morpar place. No the cables are not hot and no sparks when I take them off after trying to start motor. I will find it one way or another.

[bobostski]

Your batterys are new but are they fresh. I bought batterys from auto zone and had trouble keeping a charge in them. I found out they were 2-3 years old when I got them.

[mrbobs48]

I recharged the battery last night and it was fully charged. Still one click and the gauges discharged. Ok can I by pass the starter solonoid and try to start the car that way?????? Like putting the starter motor cable and the neg battery together. Will that work? It worked some what ok before the starter was rebuilt by the shop.

[mrbobs48]

I hooked up the battery just a few minutes ago. Driver side headlight and park light came on, but the pass side both lights are not working. New headlights and bulbs last month. Both tail lights all came on, I honked the horn and lost power again at the gauges. Ok where is my short. Any Ideas.

[4852dodge]

Try connecting the battery directly to the motor. Positive to the block and the negative to the starter system. Using the body as a ground path for the starter usually is not good enough. Cable polarity is supposing you are still positive ground. I have a heavy woven ground strap from the block to the frame at the front motor mount and an 0 gauge cable from the block to the battery with a 0 gauge cable to the starter. No problems with the starter or lighting.

[james49ply]

you have a bad circuit, if you are running 6 volt, you have to have a 6volt starter relay a 12 volt relay will not stand up to the amperage that 6 volts draw. I have seen that starter relays will fuse the contacts with high amperage/low voltage. The same applies to changing 6vt to 12vt, you can use the same wiring as the 6vt is larger wire to handle high amperage, but don't put 6vts to a 12 volt system as the wiring will melt. Use Ohms law, for a givin resistance (55 watt headlamp) 12 volts results in 4.5 amp draw, and 6 volts results in 9 amp draw.

[mrbobs48]

Here is what I fiqured out. There were two wires hooked to the neg side battery cable at the solenoid terminal. One goes to a 4 prong box below the starter solenoid. Its the top left one as you are looking down on it, I fiqured its the horn relay??? Took that wire off and the car started, What the heck is that wire. One other wire is still hooked to the neg battery cable solenoid terminal. I don't know what that wire is either. Ok pro's do you thing and tell me.

[P-12 Tommy]

If you honk your horn and lose power it sounds like a possible bad horn relay. Something's grounding out. Just a thought.

Tom

[Don Coatney]

If you honk your horn and lose power it sounds like a possible bad horn relay. Something's grounding out. Just a thought.

Tom

If something were grounding out there would be a lot of heat and possibly sparks. The thread originator said the battery cables were not hot and did not spark when he removed them. I still suspect a poor battery connection or something is not wired correctly or both.

[dirty dan]

If something were grounding out there would be a lot of heat and possibly sparks. The thread originator said the battery cables were not hot and did not spark when he removed them. I still suspect a poor battery connection or something is not wired correctly or both.

Hook the wire back and see if that relay heats up when you try to crank your engine.

[mrbobs48]

Here is what Im talking about, what is the black box below the solenoid. I took off the first top yellow wire on it, thats when it started up good. When I put it back I hear a click at the starter motor. I left the wire off.

[Captain Neon]

Horn relay.

[P-12 Tommy]

While you're at it you should change some of the wire terminals. They don't look too hot. (no pun intended)

Tom

[mrbobs48]

I was checking the wiring today , first I took the cable off the starter motor. Hooked the battery up started checking the wires from headlight to dash. Right side headlight dim , driver side bright. Why did the coil get real hot, I didn't even start the car. While the starter cable was off the started motor I hit the starter button several and none of my gauges discharged like when the starter is hooked up. The Ign key was on all the time, is the coil bad since is got hot, its a new one.

[Plymouthy Adams]

the coil got hot becuase you had the ignition switch on the point were closed thus pulling about 5-7 amps of powers..by the way, this is not the least bit good for your points

dim light..90% of the time is poor grounds..clean these connections..inspect the 3 way prong and the bucket gound wire..you may have to run an aux ground wire.

[mrbobs48]

how do you check the power to the car wires with the ign off. Car won't start due to a shorted wire somewhere. Just a click at the starter.

[Rodney Bullock]

I think it's time for one of you guy's to post that wire diagrahm that you posted fo me many years ago. I had the same problem you are having. You have something hooked up wrong there that's why the coil is hot. I don't remember which member posted it but I started from scratch and wire my car correct and have not had a problem since. If you have two 6volt pos. wires hooked to the same thing it will make things hot and you will only get one start out of the system. With the car off use your test light. 6Volt positive can be very tricky you have to think in pre 1954 terms. You also need "00" welders wire for the battery cables if you can have someone make some for you. I know, I know you got some cables from Andy I did to my car did not start right until I got some very thick cables. Oh, don't forget the grounds.frame to motor, motor to body.

[mrbobs48]

Ok thanks I will go get some 00 cables. I fiqured the person that I bought the car from had something out of wack. I found a wiring diagram for the plymouth. Two postive wires sound like the problem somewhere.