Dead Battery???

[Robert Smith]

Ok, guys, I have a friend who's new to vintage cars, no worries, Jenny's driving well and she's not the car who has the problem... it's my buddies car and he's pretty busy so, I'm kind of going to ask this question for him.

About two weeks ago my friend Benny bought a very nice all original 1937 Plymouth four door... it's near mint condition and drives like nothing else!!! He can go about 70 on the free way with out breaking a sweat!!! An amazing car to say the least... now, he, some other friends and I were all driving our cars together last Sunday, his girl friend left her car parked at my house and we all drove down to Redlands together... in my car and his '37. Now, when he got to my house, he turned off the motor and lights... he said good bye to his girl and then he went to start his car... nothing! Lights weren't turning on... he had nothing! He felt that the battery was the problem so, he charged it up but, why would the car be driving perfect before then, all of a sudden just die like that? Don't make a whole lot of sense dose it?

Any ideas on what might have happened? I mean, he tryed to turn on the head lamps, no light... not even a little... the starter motor doesn't do a thing... there's no life in the car at all!

Input if you please,

Thanks,

Rob.

[Merle Coggins]

It's possible that the battery failed. I've had batteries fail with an internal break that causes it to act completely dead. As long as the engine was running his generator was probably keeping everything running OK. Once shut off it was dead, as you stated.

That's my thoughts anyway...

Merle

[Guest Roadrunner]

I have had the same trouble with a few vehicles. All newer though. My 1980 Chev K-20 when trying to start it would click, then nothing. I tightened the loose battery connections and She fired up. When you have a loose connection it arcs over and insulates itself, resulting in an open circut. nothing works now. I only have had this trouble with Chev Side posts. But it could happen to and high current wires at either end or the wire itself. Pull the battery and checkm the voltage accross it. It sounds like a bad connection somewhere. Hope this helps.

Steve

[Merle Coggins]

I thought about that too. Could be a bad connection somewhere. Either at the battery terminals, or could be at the starter connection or the ground connection.

[Normspeed]

Robert, this happened in my 53 and it was a loose connection at the back of the ammeter. I had knocked loose a screw-on connector while messing with the fuel guage. It would intermittently have the problem. All the current flows through the ammeter in these cars, except for the direct starter current, and that won't work without the solenoid and ignition. The headlights, starter solenoid, horn, everything flows trough the ammeter. So he might check under the dash for tight connections there. Disconnect the battery first.

When mine would shut off, even a jumpstart didn't help a bit. Wiggling the wiring under the dash would help though. You guys call me if you want yet another person scratching his chin and staring at it.

[Plymouthy Adams]

First off, is the battery truly the culprit..have you checked it with a voltmeter or evern better, have you directly jumpered it to the starter post to see if there is any juice in the thing. If indeed the battery, it is just one of those things with man made devices..I have had batteries blow an open internally with the first click of a starter and leaving you high and dry after that...the only fix is a new battery..