No turn over,+ cable HOT !!!!!

[techrondon]

Started last fall,once in awhile a slow cranking but a retry would go.
replaced starter,solenoid and battery and problem seemed to go away.
then it happened again..barely "click" no turn over and positive cable to battery get HOT !! HOT !! hot !!
let it sit over the winter and it started right up..
a few days later, "click" and thats it, + cable HOT again,amp meter showing massive current being drawn..
I'm thinking the main cable must be shorting someplace,i cannot find the route of the wiring so any suggestions would be most welcome before i jack it up and try to crawl under to look.

 

[LT4man]

Welcome to CAC!

Please let us know the year, model, engine, trans of the Vette in question.

This will enable more members to respond to your question.

IMHO, you have an issue with either the starter, the positive battery cable or a really corroded connection.

You replaced the starter earlier and the problem did go away.

You should be drawing no more than 200 amps while cranking your engine. Ideal would be 50-150.

SAVE the WAVE!

 

[Hib Halverson]

Check for a short but also look for a bad starter.

I would think a true short would probably start a fire or melt something, but a faulty starter is more likely to make those symptoms.

 

[LLC5]

Started last fall,once in awhile a slow cranking but a retry would go.
replaced starter,solenoid and battery and problem seemed to go away.
then it happened again..barely "click" no turn over and positive cable to battery get HOT !! HOT !! hot !!
let it sit over the winter and it started right up..
a few days later, "click" and thats it, + cable HOT again,amp meter showing massive current being drawn..
I'm thinking the main cable must be shorting someplace,i cannot find the route of the wiring so any suggestions would be most welcome before i jack it up and try to crawl under to look.

When the problem is active, try turning the engine over by hand (with the ignition key out of the vehicle) at the crankshaft bolt and see if you are able to rotate the crank assembly. If you cannot turn it over by hand, you have an engine problem internally. Good luck with it.

 

[JohnZ]

Check BOTH ends of BOTH battery cables for corrosion - those connections should be clean and shiny to minimize resistance to high current flow; also check the cables themselves for failure/corrosion under the insulation near the ends, especially if they're copper-clad aluminum instead of pure copper. Bad cables or poor connections will heat the cables up in a HURRY under cranking load, and C3 cables are notorious for deterioration, especially the positive cable.