Final Score: Life--1, Alaska48--0

[Alaska48]

I was ready. hand-cranking the engine went fine, I torqued the spark plugs back on, went down to the auto shop, bought a new battery, this may be where I started to lose. Dude behind the counter said he had a six volt and brought it out, it looked about the same size, but the other clerks were saying that the battery he brought out was a 12v but the guy swore it was a 6 and even looked it up to verify... Rather than go with the 12v theory, I bought into the 6v... literally. Brought it home, slapped it in, hooked it up... ready to start.... nothing. Tried to tap the brake to see if the lights turned on... nothing. Either something in the car doesn't work, or I brought home a 12v.... Could it be possible there's something wrong with the car??? I wouldnt even know where to start... what a bummer.

[Guest rockabillybassman]

Man, you need a multimeter. they're peanuts for a basic one. You can then test your battery. If that's OK, you can then trace the current flow to the ignition switch and ammeter. If that's OK, you can then test at the headlight switch and at the coil. A very handy and cheap little tool.

[Brendan D25]

Don't forget that your car is positive ground (+). The + on the battery goes to the cable which is attached to the engine. (-) cable goes to the solonoid swtich. If by chance that battery is 12 volts you will blow any bulbs you put power to. As I have said before, there has got to be an older mechanic or car club around that could help you out. It isn't rocket science, but you could screw up a nice car if things are not done right. Keep posting here and ask lots of questions before you do anything and have patience. Good Luck, Brendan.

[Fireball]

What if the new battery is just empty? Did the salesman say anything about whether it's charged or not?

[Don Coatney]

Did the guy in the parts store put a meter on the battery you bought to check voltage and to see if the battery had a charge? It sounds as if the battery is flat.

Easiest way to identify a 6 volt batterty is to count the cells. You may have to remove the top cap as most batteries sold roday are closed. But a 12 volt battery will have 6 cells ans a 6 volt battery will have 3 cells.

Even if what you got is a 12 volt battery your starter should have cranked.

Make sure you connect the battery positive pole to ground.

Are you sure the car has never been converted to 12 volts?

[Young Ed]

That battery must be dead. 12v or 6v and hooked up backwards or not it should have turned over. All the 6v batteries I see still have exposed caps for the cells. You should have 3. You can see 2 of the 3 in my engine pic below. Another thing to check is the cables. Since they are older and I believe were sitting without a battery they are most likely dirty and not making a good connection. You should be able to pick up a cleaner tool for a few bucks.

[greg g]

OK. a bit of PLYMOUTH 101.

Make sure the battery is 6 V and fully charged

Assure that you hook it up with the positive post connected to ground.

Assure the other end of the ground cable is clean and tight and that the cables are the correct gauge (thickness) 1 gauge minimum. about the size of your little finger (no kidding) assure the negative battery cable goes to the solenoid. Thei will be a cylindrical deal about an inch and a half tall bolted to teh inner fender about half way between the battera and the starter.

Assure that is is of proper gauge, and the the one going to the starter is the same thickness,

Assure that those connections are clean and tight.

at this point insert your key and turn it to the on position 1st detent.

check the amp gauge, you shoud see the needle move to s slight negative posiion indicating a draw on the battery. If it moves, flick on the light, it should move further in the same direction as the lights come on. If no lights turn key off and step on brake, the pedal should move to the negative again,

If you have those conditions the engine should turn over.

If it is stock, the key will not engage the starter. You need to trun the key on and push the starter button. The big push button at the left end of the dashboardlevel with the speedometer. (remember trans in neutral, parking brake on or wheels chocked) The key turns on the ignition system, the button engages the solenoid to connect power from the battery to the starter.

AS to the lights, could be bad bulbs, coulb be bad grounds, could be blown fuse. The fuse is located on the rear of the headlight switch and is accessable by reacing up and under the dash.

Now if you still don't get anything to the starter, you can engage the starter by jumping the two large post on the solenoid with an old pair of ;liers to momenarily bridge the two posts. They will be lost of sparks, but you will no get a shock. If this cranks the starer you probably need a new solenoid. But you should be able with an assistant to get the engine started, the key will then shut it off. The key needs to be in the on position to power the solenoid with the button, the starter will spin without the key on if you jump the solenoid posts, but the ignition will not be on if the kee is off.

Confused........

[PatS....]

I'm thinkin if my parts store guys can't tell the difference between a 6 and 12 volt battery, that I wouldn't be darkening THAT doorstep again!!!!

Find an older small independent Mom and Pop parts store with a counter guy who was around when dirt was new.

[Alaska48]

The battery I recieved had the three exposed caps, my old 6v had 4:confused: I also had the positive and negative cables for the battery marked a while ago so it wasn't the problem there.... I would guess I just got a dead battery. In my own head, I was thinking if i'm buying it from the store, how could it be dead already.... It was pretty dusty when he brought it out from the back, and I think the manf. date on it is like may 2007 or something.... so I suppose it is a possibility.... if it was 12v would it have done anything at all???? I got no response from the battery after hooking it up. I'll just have to go back to the store tonight with my baseball bat.

[Brendan D25]

Ok, it seems like the battery you had in there before is an eight volt. Check to see if there is acid in the new battery, sometimes acid needs to be added and then put on slow charge for a few hours.

[Captain Neon]

A 12v battery would have cranked fast and you would have had good spark from the coil that is why I jumpstart in the spring with a 12v battery. I would suppose that your new 6v battery needs to be charged. As others have said, you need to clean your connections well.

With 4 cells, your old battery was an 8v. A lot of people use an 8v battery when there are problems with the 6v electrical system or they are impatient with the 6v starting.

If you don't already have one, get yourself a battery charger with a 6v charge option and hook it up to your new 6v battery. The 6v battery I bought this spring was only a few months old and it needed a good charge.

[Normspeed]

My opinion, FWIW, I would take the battery back, ask for a refund, and find a different parts store for all my future needs. They should know without hesitation the diff between a 6v and 12v battery, and should have put a meter on it before it left the store.

If your old battery was an 8V (4 fill caps) You might want to look around for a replacement 8V. They are still being manufactured. If your car was set up to use an 8V, the regulator has probably been re-adjusted to charge it properly.

Let us know what you find out, and good luck!

[Alaska48]

Well shoot.... I guess I need an 8 volt then.... I just can't win sometimes, hopefully I can go back to the store and swap out the 6 for an 8 with no problems.... we'll see what kind of customer service I get

[Normspeed]

If an 8v isn't available in your area, a 6v will work but you may eventually want to have the regulator adjusted so it doesn't overcharge.

Some owners went to 8v so the car would start easier in cold weather is all. Hope the parts store takes care of ya.

[1940Mopar]

what did you do to start it. Like greg g said there is a starter pedal in these cars. They don't engage with the key. That was something completely foreign to me when I bought my 40 and I'm sure I would have been frustrated if the guy i bought it from didnt think to tell me about the starter pedal.

[Captain Neon]

Plymouth moved the starter switch to a button on the dash in 1946. There are only three pedals: clutch, brake, and throttle. However, yeah, the car won't start like a modern car. First, you energise the coil by turning the ignition key clock-wise, and then you push the starter button in the upper left hand corner of the dash. Mine is a nice big shiney chrome unit. Any one got a dash shot of a P15?

[Young Ed]

As requested. You are looking through the hornring directly left of the speedometer. Now those older cars with the foot pedal are tricky. About once a year I push the start pedal and wonder why its not starting-duh you have to turn the key on too!

[Alaska48]

What's that note on your glovebox say?

[Young Ed]

That is the fortune cookie fortune I got at dinner last fall when we were on a car club tour. I thought it was so appropriate that I taped it right to the dash. Hope you can read it in this one-ok after looking at it it looks quite big and readable.

[Don Coatney]

what did you do to start it. Like greg g said there is a starter pedal in these cars. They don't engage with the key. That was something completely foreign to me when I bought my 40 and I'm sure I would have been frustrated if the guy i bought it from didnt think to tell me about the starter pedal.

There is a starter button (not a pedal) on the dash on post war cars as pictured below.

There are only three pedals: clutch, brake, and throttle.

One more pedal. The headlight dimmer switch.

[Alaska48]

Yeah, I used the start button, nothing happened, also tried brake light, headlights with no success... i'm going to swap out for a 8v and see what happens tonight after work. That headlight dimmer button on the floorboard is kickass, it is just fun to use

[Jims50chrysler]

It's still early in the game Alaska....no reason to tally the score so early you will win in the end.

Jim

[steveplym]

Yeah keep at it Alaska you'll get it. One thing I've learned is that I'm smarter than the car, but somehow it always outsmarts me.

It can be frustrating at times, but once you get it running it will be all worth it.

The only advice I can give right now is that 6v or 8v it still should turn over. Is the Positive cable connected to the frame or motor? (this would be the ground)

While your at the parts store why not buy a cheap test light and check to see if you have power at all the connections such as the solenoid post and at the ignition switch. Cheap way to test for power and they are only a couple of bucks. I have a multimeter, but sometimes voltage reading can be different than a test light. If it will light a test light there should be good current there.

Good luck!

[Don Coatney]

Yeah, I used the start button, nothing happened, also tried brake light, headlights with no success... i'm going to swap out for a 8v and see what happens tonight after work. That headlight dimmer button on the floorboard is kickass, it is just fun to use

Did you have the ignition key switch turned on when you tried the push starter button?

Dont rush out and buy an 8 volt battery until you know what you need. Eight volt is not the way to go.

The brake light in your car only works if the brake system hydraulic pressure is working. Does your brake peddle go all the way to the floor? If so the brake light will not work. And the brake light is the one in the middle of the trunk lid unless your car has been modified.

[Alaska48]

hmm... maybe i'll go get a multimeter then before returning to the car shop.... I did have the key turned on prior to trying any start or anything... the headlights did not work either..... As far as the brake light is concerned, I am not sure whether or not I have "modified lights" because as I remembered it, the taillights lit up when I used the brake too, I was only 16 at the time so it is hard to remember, either way, nothing lit up when I tried it....

I guess i'll go the multimeter route then prior to seeing if I need an 8 volt battery.... I definitley need to get me a service manual. I saw them online on ebay for $19.95, guess I better get one.