Stupid Freakin Battery

[ksolo]

Hey,

I will take this to the garage, but i wanted to see if anyone had any experience with this problem first. Just got a '76 about a 1.5 months ago. At the time I got a brand new battery and starter b/c it didn't start, and that was why. Now, in the last week, both time when it was very cold, the battery was just dead. No lights or anything left on, just randomly dies. The alternator seems ok, simply b/c when i do get it jumped, it runs and starts just fine for days on end. Any insight on this one? so darn cold right now i don't feel like hanging outside to figure it out, and this forum really seems to know what is up with most problems.

thanks for the help.

 

[Broncoholics]

Thats a sign of a crapy brand of battery. I used to run the Die-Hard Golds or the Winter battery and they all fell apart on the trails. The plates on the inside fall apart. I now run Optima Batteries only. Yellow top preferably if you run a winch.

 

[Bully Bob]

An engine warmer, a heated dip-stick, anything to keep the under-hood warm.

Maybe bring the batt. indoors.

(things we do to keep airplanes ready to go in the "cold")

 

[Seabronc]

It could be the battery, but there is another possibility.

Have you checked the alternator output when it is running to make sure it is putting out? It should read atleast 13.5 volts at the battery terminals when the engine is running. Check it with the engine running on a real cold day when the engine and alternator is still cold. There is a possibility the rectifiers fail when real cold. If the alternator were failing when cold you could be running on the battery instead of the alternator, which ofcourse, would drain it.

Just another possibility :huh: .

Good luck,

>-

 

[ksolo]

Turned out to be the Horn Relay wasn't correctly grounded. Always something little with these things. Thanks for the input.