battery/electrical? - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

68gmcjon · 01-31-2003, 12:46 AM

when i go to start my truck it just acts like the battery is dead, so i try to jump it. No luck. the jumper cables are good. I hook up the battery charger and turn on my lights, with the charger hooked up the lights work fine, but without they don't even shine. What's wrong with my truck?

Fred T · 01-31-2003, 02:33 AM

Lots of things to check.
1. Are your battery posts & terminals clean and tight?
2. When you try to jump start do the lights work?
3. When jump starting, is the nurse vehicle running? With a dead battery, this makes a big difference.
4. Does the starter engage, click or grunt?
5. What happens when you run the charger overnight? If you haven't, hook it directly to the battery posts.

I am guessing either a bad battery or bad connections. One thing you can do is to charge the battery overnight, then take it to a parts store or Wal-Mart and have them check it. They'll do it for free in hope of selling you a new battery.

barn9 · 01-31-2003, 04:28 AM

Jon, sounds like a bad battery from the description. O'Reilly's will check it for you, and they have about the best prices here in Winfield when it comes to batteries. PM me if I can help you.

Hooter · 01-31-2003, 04:46 AM

Bad battery or bad connection on the starter, or a heavy drain on the system somewhere

Lippyp · 01-31-2003, 07:14 AM

This is interesting to me as my battery flattened itself out over the Christmas break when I didn't use my truck, so i think it's on the way out. What do you reccomend as the minimum spec for a battery for a truck with a fairly standard 350? AH and cranking amps.

68gmcjon · 01-31-2003, 08:29 AM

Hooked the charger directly to the posts last night and it started right up this morning

minibike · 01-31-2003, 09:22 AM

I just had a grounding problem with my starter. I connected the negative jumper directly to the housing on the starter, and it fired right up. After figuring it out, I put the grounding cable on one of the starter bolts, to ground the engine.

Tynee · 01-31-2003, 10:09 AM

Something to think about when having a parts store check your battery/ electrical system, They ARE trying sell you parts. I've never had them test anything that didn't come up needing to be replaced. Now, whether or not there new parts fixed the symptoms or not is a different story. On the bright side, it also comes up needing to replace whatever you are having them test when the part is still under warranty.

Fred T · 01-31-2003, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by 68gmcjon
Hooked the charger directly to the posts last night and it started right up this morning

Sounds like a bad connection between where you were connecting and the battery. I would start by cleaning the battery posts and terminals, if you haven't done so already. Check it again after cleaning, then see if you alternator is charging.

6869704X4 · 01-31-2003, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lippyp
This is interesting to me as my battery flattened itself out over the Christmas break when I didn't use my truck, so i think it's on the way out. What do you reccomend as the minimum spec for a battery for a truck with a fairly standard 350? AH and cranking amps.

The biggest one that will fit. hehe I know it gets pretty cold in England.
The batteries that came in these trucks were only about 450CCA (if my memory is correct)unless you got the heavy duty one.

ChevLoRay · 01-31-2003, 08:05 PM

You can save yourself a lot of trouble and headaches if you will periodically remove the cables from the battery and clean the terminals of the battery AND the ends of the cables where they fit onto the terminals. Use NOCO pads under the ends to help minimize corrosion, or use some of the spray stuff that some parts stores sell to do the same thing.

If your cables ends are bad, and you are using the type that clamp on the old cable, make sure the wire of the cable is clean and sufficient to allow current to pass thru the connection. Cables with the ends made onto them, are better, but sometimes you just have to "make do" when funds are short or when time doesn't permit a more extensive repair/replacement.

If you see that electrolyte is boiling out of the battery, a mixture of baking soda and water, painted on the surrounding metal, will help to neutralize the acid. You should also wash the top of the battery, and you can use the mixture of soda and water on it BUT BE CAREFUL! If you get any of the soda mixture into the cells of the battery, you could shorten the life of the battery.

Also, batteries that are being charged, give off hydrogen sulfide gas....a gas which is explosive. The gasses from a battery can explode with sufficient force to do extensive damage to your vehicle or harm anyone nearby. Don't use a match, or a lighter, to look at the electrolyte level in a battery. Use a flashlight (Okay, LippyP....a torch) to check the level. If your battery has the "eye" indicator, it should be green, if fully charged. If it is black, the level of acid is probably low.

01-31-2003, 12:46 AM	#1
68gmcjon Got earplugs? Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Winfield, Kansas Posts: 556	battery/electrical? when i go to start my truck it just acts like the battery is dead, so i try to jump it. No luck. the jumper cables are good. I hook up the battery charger and turn on my lights, with the charger hooked up the lights work fine, but without they don't even shine. What's wrong with my truck? __________________ 1968 GMC Original A/C, bucket seats, PS,PB 396 bored to 402, Dynomax cerama-coat headers, Super 40 Flowmasters, 272/284 Crane cam, Crane gold roller rockers, holley 750 cfm double pumper, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, HEI ignition, 9.5:compression Alltogether 411HP and 446ft/lbs Dana 60 w/ 3.54 gears Turbo 400 tranny Why would you have anything other than a big block? HAHA

01-31-2003, 02:33 AM	#2
Fred T Cantankerous Geezer Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Bel Aire, KS Posts: 6,264	Lots of things to check. 1. Are your battery posts & terminals clean and tight? 2. When you try to jump start do the lights work? 3. When jump starting, is the nurse vehicle running? With a dead battery, this makes a big difference. 4. Does the starter engage, click or grunt? 5. What happens when you run the charger overnight? If you haven't, hook it directly to the battery posts. I am guessing either a bad battery or bad connections. One thing you can do is to charge the battery overnight, then take it to a parts store or Wal-Mart and have them check it. They'll do it for free in hope of selling you a new battery. __________________ Fred There is no such thing as too much cam...just not enough engine.

01-31-2003, 04:28 AM	#3
barn9 Half a bubble off! Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Winfield, Ks, USA Posts: 5,588	Jon, sounds like a bad battery from the description. O'Reilly's will check it for you, and they have about the best prices here in Winfield when it comes to batteries. PM me if I can help you. __________________ Just call me LB. '71 Cheyenne, 402BB, hauls blondes, brunettes, or redheads.

01-31-2003, 04:46 AM	#4
Hooter My other Love Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Castlegar B.C. Canada Posts: 4,085	Bad battery or bad connection on the starter, or a heavy drain on the system somewhere __________________ Castlegar B.C.The great white North (Canada Eh!) Hooter_5@hotmail.com First generation Monte Carlo club pictures of my life

01-31-2003, 07:14 AM	#5
Lippyp English Chevy Owner Join Date: May 2002 Location: Shropshire, UK/ Lot, France Posts: 1,848	This is interesting to me as my battery flattened itself out over the Christmas break when I didn't use my truck, so i think it's on the way out. What do you reccomend as the minimum spec for a battery for a truck with a fairly standard 350? AH and cranking amps. __________________ Phil '67 C10 long fleet. 350/TH350, 4 bbl Carter, K&N, Dual exhaust, loads of stuff coming soon 2001 S10 Blazer Daily Driver, bone stock 4 door 4x4 with manual transmission

01-31-2003, 08:29 AM	#6
68gmcjon Got earplugs? Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Winfield, Kansas Posts: 556	Hooked the charger directly to the posts last night and it started right up this morning __________________ 1968 GMC Original A/C, bucket seats, PS,PB 396 bored to 402, Dynomax cerama-coat headers, Super 40 Flowmasters, 272/284 Crane cam, Crane gold roller rockers, holley 750 cfm double pumper, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, HEI ignition, 9.5:compression Alltogether 411HP and 446ft/lbs Dana 60 w/ 3.54 gears Turbo 400 tranny Why would you have anything other than a big block? HAHA

01-31-2003, 09:22 AM	#7
minibike Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Lafayette, LA Posts: 500	I just had a grounding problem with my starter. I connected the negative jumper directly to the housing on the starter, and it fired right up. After figuring it out, I put the grounding cable on one of the starter bolts, to ground the engine. __________________ 69 SWB LT1/4L60E www.classicplace.com

01-31-2003, 10:09 AM	#8
Tynee I miss this truck. Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Lexington, KY U.S.A. Posts: 2,863	Something to think about when having a parts store check your battery/ electrical system, They ARE trying sell you parts. I've never had them test anything that didn't come up needing to be replaced. Now, whether or not there new parts fixed the symptoms or not is a different story. On the bright side, it also comes up needing to replace whatever you are having them test when the part is still under warranty. __________________ '07 GMC Acadia SLT. Sweet ride. '08 Crew Cab Z-71 short bed. Really like this truck A LOT.

01-31-2003, 08:05 PM	#11
ChevLoRay Old Skool Club Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Benton, AR "The Heart of Arkansas" Posts: 10,880	You can save yourself a lot of trouble and headaches if you will periodically remove the cables from the battery and clean the terminals of the battery AND the ends of the cables where they fit onto the terminals. Use NOCO pads under the ends to help minimize corrosion, or use some of the spray stuff that some parts stores sell to do the same thing. If your cables ends are bad, and you are using the type that clamp on the old cable, make sure the wire of the cable is clean and sufficient to allow current to pass thru the connection. Cables with the ends made onto them, are better, but sometimes you just have to "make do" when funds are short or when time doesn't permit a more extensive repair/replacement. If you see that electrolyte is boiling out of the battery, a mixture of baking soda and water, painted on the surrounding metal, will help to neutralize the acid. You should also wash the top of the battery, and you can use the mixture of soda and water on it BUT BE CAREFUL! If you get any of the soda mixture into the cells of the battery, you could shorten the life of the battery. Also, batteries that are being charged, give off hydrogen sulfide gas....a gas which is explosive. The gasses from a battery can explode with sufficient force to do extensive damage to your vehicle or harm anyone nearby. Don't use a match, or a lighter, to look at the electrolyte level in a battery. Use a flashlight (Okay, LippyP....a torch) to check the level. If your battery has the "eye" indicator, it should be green, if fully charged. If it is black, the level of acid is probably low. __________________ Member Nr. 2770 '96 GMC Sportside; 4.3/SLT - Daily driven....constantly needs washed. '69 C-10 SWB; 350/TH400 - in limbo The older I get, the better I was.



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