Need a little help- start prob

[jimbo64]

Need a little of your help-start prob.
Just shipped my 64 327/300 vert to Texas. Car was running perfect prior to shipment but when it arrived it would not start, turn over and it was so
dead the clock wasn't even running. I know that everything was turned off
when it was loaded. It has a 6 month old new optima redtop battery in it.
In order to start it, the carrier jumped it with a battery pack and it started right up. However on the way home, my son stalled it and it would not restart.[couldn't even jump it] Found 30 amp fuse in starter circuit blown[ suspect that was when the battery pack jumped it] He's looking for some things to check,that might be the cause. He's absolutely sick about it and since I'm 1500 miles away and all the manuals are packed up somewhere I'm not a lot of help-we're moving to Tx but won't arrive for awhile. Any suggestions on things to check would be appreciated and forwarded, thanks in advance. Jimbo 64

 

[gmjunkie]

Need a little of your help-start prob.
Just shipped my 64 327/300 vert to Texas. Car was running perfect prior to shipment but when it arrived it would not start, turn over and it was so
dead the clock wasn't even running. I know that everything was turned off
when it was loaded. It has a 6 month old new optima redtop battery in it.
In order to start it, the carrier jumped it with a battery pack and it started right up. However on the way home, my son stalled it and it would not restart.[couldn't even jump it] Found 30 amp fuse in starter circuit blown[ suspect that was when the battery pack jumped it] He's looking for some things to check,that might be the cause. He's absolutely sick about it and since I'm 1500 miles away and all the manuals are packed up somewhere I'm not a lot of help-we're moving to Tx but won't arrive for awhile. Any suggestions on things to check would be appreciated and forwarded, thanks in advance. Jimbo 64

Bet the key got left on and it ran the battery down and has burnt the points up!!

 

[jimbo64]

gmjunkie, will check, thanks for quick response.

 

[michael sommers]

If the fuse has been replaced. I recommend disconnecting the
car battery and try another jump start, using an external battery
If it starts and runs disconnect the external battery it should continue
to run.If not the alternator is bad . Most times the alternator fails out right
however I have seen them be just good enough to run the car but not to
keep the battery charged. Ifnone of the above work suspect the starter is shorted

 

[sincro]

Another possible answer

While the recommendation above are on track, look at the battery. Another point to consider is that when a battery voltage drops below 8 or 9 volts, it either won't take a charge or takes a charge very slowly. You might want to try charging the battery for 24 hours and then try it. It sounds like your voltage was drained down to 0 which can kill a battery.

 

[jimbo64]

Default
update-----son checked voltage across battery and it read 7 volts. Put charger on and after three hours [80%] charge it read 12 volts and the car started. Ran 5 min and shut off and restarted it, ran another 5 min and shut it down and 30 amp in started circuit blew. Replaced fuse and it started right back up. Ammeter needle all the way to the right, normally straight up and down or slightly to the plus side. Maybe this is normal since battery only 80% charged. Engineer neighbor questioned the size of the 30 amp fuse with the starting load. Shut car off, left everything connected and will finish charge tonight, check voltage on bat after sitting 24 hours connected. Could this be a bad regulator? Any thoughts from you guys are and will be appreciated. thanks Jim
__________________
know when to hold them, know when to fold them,

 

[sincro]

If you have a volt meter, attach it to the battery terminals. Read the voltage with the ignition off. Then start the car and read the voltage again. If the voltage reads 13.5 volts or higher, your alternator and voltage regulator are probably OK. It the voltage reads the same or lower than it did with the ignition off, your alternator or voltage regulator are not working properly. A fully charged battery should read 12.7 volts or more.

For the battery to charge with the alternator, the alternator must put out a voltage higher than the at rest voltage of the battery. If it doesn't, the charge circuit has a problem.

 

[gmjunkie]

Default
update-----son checked voltage across battery and it read 7 volts. Put charger on and after three hours [80%] charge it read 12 volts and the car started. Ran 5 min and shut off and restarted it, ran another 5 min and shut it down and 30 amp in started circuit blew. Replaced fuse and it started right back up. Ammeter needle all the way to the right, normally straight up and down or slightly to the plus side. Maybe this is normal since battery only 80% charged. Engineer neighbor questioned the size of the 30 amp fuse with the starting load. Shut car off, left everything connected and will finish charge tonight, check voltage on bat after sitting 24 hours connected. Could this be a bad regulator? Any thoughts from you guys are and will be appreciated. thanks Jim
__________________
know when to hold them, know when to fold them,

Yes it certainly could!!Check the voltage regulator,It may be stuck!

 

[michael sommers]

I do not see where a 30 amp fuse is used on the
fuse block. I feel the starter is intermittently shorted
It appears from the other posts your battery is
probably ok. I would disconnect all unnecessary fuses
on the fuse block keeping ignition and dash
disconnect the alternator and voltage regulator. start
the car to see if the fuse still blows. Sincro is right
on about the voltage levels of a working alternator/
regulator. So if you can stop it from blowing fuses
you can reconnect and retest. From this distance
a vote a bad starter.
good luck

 

[jimbo64]

Son couldn't work on car last pm but let me pose another ques to ponder. Assuming that the battery is okay and the ignition was turned off, what could put enough drain on the battery to completely drain it in 2 1/2 days. Will keep you updated on where this little experience is going. Again, thanks for all of your help, you guys and gals are great. JIm

 

[gmjunkie]

Son couldn't work on car last pm but let me pose another ques to ponder. Assuming that the battery is okay and the ignition was turned off, what could put enough drain on the battery to completely drain it in 2 1/2 days. Will keep you updated on where this little experience is going. Again, thanks for all of your help, you guys and gals are great. JIm

Stuck relay in voltage regulator,Shorted Diode in the Alternator, or something left turned on!!

 

[michael sommers]

battery drain

Pulling the extra fuses should eliminate most other
circuits ,headlights, brake lights,lighter, clock should run from the battery but would have to research which circuit it is attached to. pulling the alternator and
regulator would also isolate additional ciruits
Leaving the starter attatched to battery, a shorted
starter i believe could cause a drain It would have to be
shorted in a somewhat unusal manor but disconnecting
it would answer a battery drain question.Would have
to look about the horn relay.
good luck

 

[JohnZ]

Son couldn't work on car last pm but let me pose another ques to ponder. Assuming that the battery is okay and the ignition was turned off, what could put enough drain on the battery to completely drain it in 2 1/2 days.

The two most common culprits are the glove box light (not shutting off when the door is closed) and a shorted diode in the alternator. Check the glove box light switch plunger travel and function, and remove the hot lead from the alternator (and tape it up - it's "hot" all the time) and if the battery doesn't discharge, you've found it.