first day out and no start

[Banshee]

Got the 94atx back on the road today and was running great all day long. Parked at the decal shop and wouldn't start. Turned over fine until I killed the battery. Almost started after key on/off a few times trying to maybe prime it but wouldn't stay running. Sea foamed a few days ago,fresh oil,half tank of last year's treated gas. Had to call for a tow because I couldn't leave it there. Let the cycle continue

 

[SHOdded]

Do you suspect electrical, fuel ...

 

[Banshee]

I'm thinking maybe fuel just because when I cycled the key a few times it would catch and start for a quick second then die right out. If it happened at home I could have charged the battery and kept looking into it. I'm really hoping it's simple but few things are

 

[Banshee]

Update. Mechanic called and said they cleaned the terminals and charged the battery and the car fired right up. It was cranking just fine until the battery died on me but wouldn't fire. I did hose off the underside yesterday but it was running fine until I shut it off. Picking it up in a few. Just a fluke? Fuel filter? I dunno

 

[SHOdded]

Did you have the car running the entire time from the time you cleaned the underside to the time it didn't start again? Maybe the grounds or the starter connections were still wet when you tried to restart?

Is it a new battery? It could still be problematic. Sometimes the terminals aren't tightened down properly and become loose from the vibrations that occur during driving (or idling if you have ALSFB ). Have the mechanic do a load test (preferably with a newer computerized tester) on the battery to make sure it is good before you take it back.

 

[Banshee]

When I washed the car I left it running. Shut it off at home and started it about an hour later and it was fine until i shut it off again. The battery has been finicky the few days before hand so I am going to replace that. Starts and runs fine now and the battery in it seems to be keeping a charge but it hasn't sit long either. I am going to be parking smart for a while just in case it happens again. I was pulled in and they wouldn't let me leave the car to charge the battery so I had it towed

 

[Devin]

My money is on condensation. After you turned it off and the air cooled down in the bay all the trapped evaporated water may have turned back into water and cause problems. Just a theory, but I know that I've had more problems after washing and engine than before.

 

[sperold]

If your wires have the ends that are clamped on (not the battery, the wire itself), then I would look at them. I have had problems with them in the past. The bare part of the wires get corroded and looks OK, but no longer allow current flow.

 

[Banshee]

Sperold. Those are the kind of wires I have and they were pretty nasty. At some point when we first pulled the car out of the weeds years ago it was switched over to a side mount battery because that's what i had laying around so the cables screw into the battery not clamp on a post. So far today it's been starting great and runs strong. Going to keep my fingers crossed and see what tmrw brings

 

[sperold]

Yea, the issue with them is the only part of the whole wire that does any electrical conducting is the outer layer of the top and bottom of that clamp thing.
To get a bit more life out of them (before you replace them), take the clamp off, spread all the conductor wires out in a fan shape, and wire brush them mercilessly. Every strand has to be touched by the wire brush. Then you can wad them back together and re clamp and get a bit more life out of them, but they will fail you eventually. Usually at the worst time, and when you are under stress, you will forget this trick, and need the tow truck again.

 

[Banshee]

So far all is good. Everything is clean and tight and is running great.

 

[greg.91sho]

Yes