engine and drivetrain Best battery?

[jetboy]

its pretty wierd that you would get no signal from old terminals/bad grounds. if they are connected at all you should get some juice, enough to light up your dash at least. they would have to be pretty damn bad to not do that--

id suggest some caution because you might have a bad short - like your main positive wire is touching a part of the frame somewhere --, which could lead to melting wires and exploding battery etc-

[carnellm]

At least fire would be exciting!! No, I actually don't mean that.

I did the quick check visual check for shorts but didn't see any. Tomorrow I will have my meter with me so I can do the real check. Did find out that the car's alternator has been replaced with the later model not requiring all the plugs on the back. Thought I had found the problem at first...

[ingraham]

an "issue". It's a problem.

It's more likely a bad wiring than a bad ignition switch.

When you say that it doesn't start, do you mean that it cranks over fine but doesn't fire, or that it cranks slowly or not at all?

Quick diagnostic test: (Assumes your battery is fully charged.) Put your voltmeter leads directly on the battery posts. It should read 12.6 volts with the key off and about 11 volts with the key in the start position.

Now put the leads on the starter frame and the starter bolt for the battery cable. The readings should be about 12.6 and 9-10. If the latter reading is really low, the problem is in the positive battery cables or their connectors. If the latter reading is higher, say 12 volts, there is a problem with the ignition switch or in the wiring path: battery -> ignition switch -> starter.

Quick check of that wiring path: Key off; tranny in neutral; parking brake on. Clip a jumper wire to terminal 50 on the starter (the small black wire). Touch the other end to the battery positive post. If it cranks, battery cables and starter are good; and ignition switch or wiring is bad. Start by tracing out the medium-sized red wire on the battery positive terminal.

[ingraham]

(nt)

[carnellm]

Great diagnosis tree! Unfortunately I walked out the door this morning without my test equipment so my poor car had to sit there in the parking lot one more day. I have already put the meter and such in for the trip tomorrow though.

Oh, and when I say won't start, I mean nothing. Zilch. No turn, no click, no nothing. Not even the horn will honk. And that is with a brand new battery in there. So, baring the very slight chance that they gave me a bad battery (which I will be able to check in the morning) then either a lead is broken somewhere or a ground isn't grounding.

Good news is that tomorrow will be warming for working on this. Bad news is that it will be raining.

[carnellm]

OK, so with no load it shows 12 to 13 volts. As soon as I turn the ignition key to Start the voltage drops to 0. Just bottoms out. And that is a new battery.

Any ideas? Is the battery bad? Is the starter dead and causing things to croak?

By the way, tested the power at battery and through the wiring, chassis, etc... Results all the same, so it appears not to be a bad ground like I feared.

And here is a newbie type question. Should the horn work when the ignition is off? (It doesn't.)

[carnellm]

Problem finally solved. Bad positive battery cable. Wasn't making a full connection. Now fixed and Roxy is motoring happily!

Thanks to all you guys for your help.

Michael