Electric problems and an apology

[Rav]

Hey Guys,

Firstly apologies for not posting for a long while, but just had a lot going on.

Anyway, the SHO, 98 GenIII if anyone forgot, has some electric problems.

Symptoms: open the car with the remote, interior lights are on, key brings up accessory lights on the dash, etc. Turn the car to start and nothing. No lights, no starter click, nothing. Turning the key to off and trying again, this time nothing at all, no accessory lights or anything.

Things checked: Battery reads 12.6V when off and over 13.5V when running, so assume that battery and alternator are ok. Check between negative battery terminal and ground on the car body and about 0.2Ohms drop. Stripped positive battery insulation back a bit and the cable to the connector look okay, just one broken strand. Cleaned up terminals and connectors, still have the same problem.

How I got it started: Wiggle the positive battery cable.

My thoughts: Maybe a dodgy positive battery cable.

Now I don't understand why when I first try the car everything lights up, etc. Then on the second try everything is dead.

Any thoughts? Also how difficult would it be to replace the positive battery cable?

So far anytime it's done this a little and I mean only a tiny wiggle on the positive battery cable will get it started.

Thanks

Rav.

 

[Shoaz]

Rav who?

I thought he got deported?

:wave:

The positive cable should not be difficult to replace. You might have to follow a couple branches and open up a couple looms, but it's not that tough. The main destinations should be the primary fuse box and the starter motor (this being said by somebody with little GIII experience).

Sounds like it could be either the connector, cable, or battery, though.

 

[Off Road SHO]

By Jove! Jolly good hearing from you ol chap.

Measure the voltage before, during and after cranking. You probably just have a worn out battery with good voltage but no amperage. Eric should know the technical term for it.

Tom

 

[Rav]

Hey guys,

No I'm still around, just been having a bit of a tough time of it.

Anyway I only changed this battery two months ago so might get it checked out. Only had this problem after the new battery, though it has been two months since I changed the battery.

Could the terminal inside the battery have a bad connection?

The cable seems to be fine, and I cleaned the terminals up a couple of times.

 

[Shoaz]

You probably just have a worn out battery with good voltage but no amperage. Eric should know the technical term for it.

I think it's "electricity".

Rav's an rf guy, so he doesn't know anything about DC.

Could the terminal inside the battery have a bad connection?

Yes, that's a possibility. I've had that happen before.

 

[Philthy]

I just had a battery go bad in my CHM (Crappy Honda Minivan) and the charger kicked it up to 100%, the Fluke was showing 12.6V+ and the van just went wrr wrr wrr. I thought it was the starter, the cables, the terminals, roof rats, hood rats, bad karma. When AutoZone load tested the battery, they told me it was bad. Turns out they were right.

 

[Rav]

Okay,

So I don't think that it's a bad battery, reason is that when this first happened a couple of weeks ago, I put the battery booster I have on it and got nothing, no accessory lights, no starter motor clicking, etc. Just a little wiggle of the cable brought it back to life.

So any ideas on how much battery cables are? Any ideas how much a dealer would want to put them in?

I'll stop by Autozone on the way home and see what they price the cables out to. Changing the cable out itself doesn't worry me that much, it's more if I have to take a ton of stuff off before getting to connectors, etc.

I think that the last time I did anything with DC, was Ohms law. As soon as I got introduced to the Smith Chart, dB's and dBm's everything got a whole lot easier.

 

[ChuckD]

Rav if you want to bring it over, I am healed up enough to help out. You got my number. PS bring a *****, um well a bunch.