I took the car for a car wash and when I went to go start it the started cranked really sluggish but car started ok. This was yesterday. Since then I've started the car 5 more times and it still cranks a little slower than normal but seems like every time it's better. Weird. I have 12.47 at the battery terminal I have 12.46 at the starter solenoid 12.45 at the alternator terminal
In my training I learned and have always practiced 12.4 is minimum battery voltage. I would see what the voltage reads under a load.
How do I do that? Should I start the car or just turn on headlights or something? Man I hope it's not my starter, I just replaced it.
Read the meter while cranking it.. disconnect the coil and crank for about 8 to 10 seconds. This won't tell what the starter is doing only what the battery drops to. Need an amp probe for the starter..
You should have closer to 14 volts at the alternator, when the car is running. Not sure if you meant "running". It sounds like you might be having successive short drives...and your alternator's charging amount (power) is not enough to make up for the drain on your battery, after starting, partly because you might be drawing alot of amps from your alternator, with your setup. Hence, maybe your battery is not getting fully charged back up. Sounds like maybe you should start fresh, and check all the main components again Mashori. You've been having some electrical issues with you Mav lately, and I know how they can be frustrating at times. I would double check that your charge wiring is wired up properly, according to a good 3G upgrade schematic. You should be able to use the one I posted on your previous thread, as long as your alternator has the same terminal configuration. I can't remember if you said yours was the 3 wire, or 1 wire 3G. The 3 wire third Generation Alternators have better voltage regulation built in, than the 1 wire models. Pay particular attention to the wire sizes you are using (# 4 AWG is best for the charge and ground wire on 3G upgrades) Also it is important to have your sense wire be bonded at the same point that your charge wire is connected to, on your solonoid. If you have the sense wire bonded in a spot that is slightly less voltage than on the solonoid terminal, then your alternator will actually charge at a slightly higher rate, which could over-charge your battery, and damage it. Also, make sure your Battery is good and strong, and can take a full load amps charge.
THAT sounds like timing. What you started with in the thread sounds like battery dropping low. I usually didn't see any cranking issues unless the battery drops to about 9.5v.. when dealing with a weak battery. Incorrect timing and bad starter can cause a low voltage reading but you should also be able to hear that there is a hard starting condition. This is why it's good to have an amp probe to see what kind of amps are being drawn. Without one it's your ears and hot cables that help determin the POSSIBLE cause. Use the tools you have to help you decide what to do next.
May have two issues. Just take the car to an Autozone or Oreilly auto, where ever ther eis a counter guy you can trust he knows what hes doing. Have the battery, alt, and starter tested. it quick and free and they have the machine to test all three. And for the dieseling, you really should check that out too. You shouldnt have any dieseling, especialy with your low compression motor. A high compression motor with some heat soaked cylinder heads may diesel at shut off but i dont think your should. Well now that i think about it you have a manual so shutting off in neutral may diesel a little IF its hot enough and you have alot of timing. Id still double check your timing to make sure it didnt move from where you had it set. and if it did move then check the distributor for being loose and if it is tight pull it out and check the wear on the gear.
If your battery cables aren't large enough, that will cause the starter to turn slower than you'd like. I went thru the same problem with mine, I eventually moved the battery back up front and the problem disappeared. And I used very large welding cables with a separate grounding cable from back to front. My positive cable was a half inch in diameter too. This was the copper core only, not including the insulation.
I remember us using the appropriate wiring, I know that came up on another thread before. I've checked the wiring diagram and it's correct. The car would barely start today so I left it at home. Last night leaving from the shop it was doing well, it's probably a wire shorting somewhere or loose connection. It could be the alternator, I have to get that checked also. Total timing 30 and initial 14, so dieseling shouldn't be from timing.
