| Electric problem [message #103922] |
Sat, 23 October 2010 15:50  |
bernie
Messages: 46
Registered: February 2008
Location: Montreal
Karma: 0
|
Member |
|
|
I always disconnect the engine battery during the week. I reconnect it during the week-end to use the GMC. Here is the problem:
When I reconnect the battery, I turn the ignition key, I hear the electric fuel pump, and when I turn the key to engage the starter....NOTHING...DEAD...SILENCE...Not a light is working,no-nothing...I then disconnect the battery, try again and now everything works !?!? (Sometimes it might take 2 attempts of disconnect-try-reconnect before it starts...) This happens
when the battery has been disconnected for a couple of days...
I thought at first that the battery was the culprit, but I also
tried to start with the house battery, but it did the same.
The funny thing is when I connect the battery, the lights are always working, but when it becomes dead after I try to start it, the lights and all the electrical seems to be cut-out ???
Bernard
GMC Transmode 1977
Montreal,Canada
|
|
|
|
| Re: Electric problem [message #103923 is a reply to message #103922] |
Sat, 23 October 2010 16:00  |
Rick Williams
Messages: 256
Registered: July 2004
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Bernie
I think you have a bad battery connection. Are you using battery disconnects or are you removing/replacing the battery cable from the battery post. I have seen some battery disconnect switches cause this sort of problem. I am referring to the $3.00 disconnects that you find at finer stores everywhere.
Rick
Rick Williams
Bliss, Michigan
1978 Eleganza II
|
|
|
|
| Re: Electric problem [message #103931 is a reply to message #103922] |
Sat, 23 October 2010 18:02 |
idrob
Messages: 645
Registered: January 2005
Location: Central Idaho
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
|
|
| bernie wrote on Sat, 23 October 2010 13:50 |
I always disconnect the engine battery during the week. I reconnect it during the week-end to use the GMC. Here is the problem:
When I reconnect the battery, I turn the ignition key, I hear the electric fuel pump, and when I turn the key to engage the starter....NOTHING...DEAD...SILENCE...Not a light is working,no-nothing...I then disconnect the battery, try again and now everything works !?!? (Sometimes it might take 2 attempts of disconnect-try-reconnect before it starts...) This happens
when the battery has been disconnected for a couple of days...
I thought at first that the battery was the culprit, but I also
tried to start with the house battery, but it did the same.
The funny thing is when I connect the battery, the lights are always working, but when it becomes dead after I try to start it, the lights and all the electrical seems to be cut-out ???
|
Yes, you probably have a bad battery connection, most likely on the terminal you are not using to disconnect the battery. It might be on the other end of the battery cable, too, especially the negative side where it grounds to the engine. If you are just "sliping the terminal on the post" and not tightening it each time you will also have this same problem.
Question: why are you disconnecting the battery each week? If you have no loads on, there is no reason to do that, just a lot of problems and effort. On mine, when I had it, I was able to leave the battery connected all winter, come back in the spring, put the key in and start it right up. That was without any charge all winter.
Rob Allen
former owner of '76 x-PB
|
|
|
|
| Re: Electric problem [message #103973 is a reply to message #103922] |
Sun, 24 October 2010 08:38 |
 |
Matt Colie
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma: 7
|
Senior Member |
|
|
| bernie wrote on Sat, 23 October 2010 16:50 |
I always disconnect the engine battery during the week. I reconnect it during the week-end to use the GMC. Here is the problem:
When I reconnect the battery, I turn the ignition key, I hear the electric fuel pump, and when I turn the key to engage the starter....NOTHING...DEAD...SILENCE...Not a light is working,no-nothing...I then disconnect the battery, try again and now everything works !?!? (Sometimes it might take 2 attempts of disconnect-try-reconnect before it starts...) This happens
when the battery has been disconnected for a couple of days...
I thought at first that the battery was the culprit, but I also
tried to start with the house battery, but it did the same.
The funny thing is when I connect the battery, the lights are always working, but when it becomes dead after I try to start it, the lights and all the electrical seems to be cut-out ???
|
Bernie,
I deal with these all the time.
What you have is have is a classic "Gee - The battery terminal Looks Clean" syndrome... When in fact the terminal and the post are badly oxidized.
I bet you don't get a wrench out every time you do this. Not that this would make a lot of difference, but the loose clamp does not help.
To fix it, you need two things. Get a battery terminal wire brush - one of the kind that has a conical brush for the inside of the terminal and a conical hole for the battery terminal and clean both posts and terminals on the battery. Then coat both with dielectric grease.
If you really feel you have to disconnect batteries all the time, you are better off getting a switch. Not a cheapy, but the 25$c one at marine store. and a short piece of cable. The good lead terminals do not work well after a lot of disconnect-reconnect cycles and cheap - less than all lead - don't last very long no matter what you do.
Matt
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
|
|
|
|
GMCforum
Search
Help
Register
Login
Home
