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Bad Battery Or Bad Connection?

Discussion in 'Flat Fender Tech' started by tomasinator, Jan 20, 2019.

  1. Jan 20, 2019
    tomasinator

    tomasinator Member

    Redmond, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2015
    Messages:
    415
    A couple weeks ago my wife had to run errands downtown and I convinced her to let me drive her in our old '53 CJ3B. I went out to start it, turned the key, and nothing happened. Everything was dead. Nothing worked, not even the headlights. I used a multimeter to check the battery and it read 12.6 volts. The ground clamp looked suspect, but when I measured the voltage between the the positive terminal and the body of the alternator, it still read 12.6 volts. Since the headlights are powered from a terminal on the ignition switch, I removed the ignition switch from the dash so I could measure the voltage on the various terminals. The voltage read normal until I turned on the lights. This sounds like a grounding problem. The multimeter is very high resistance and doesn't put a load on the battery. I needed something that would draw current. I found a 12v pump used to fill rafts. When the pump was jumpered directly to the battery, it ran fine, but when it was jumpered to the battery's positive terminal and to the alternator body, the pump wouldn't run. Bingo, the ground cable from the battery must be faulty.

    [​IMG]

    I removed the ground cable from the rusty battery terminal connection and clamped it directly to the negative battery terminal. The engine started right up and all the lights worked.

    [​IMG]

    I found a new battery clamp in my junk box, reconnected the ground wires, and the jeep was back to normal. I took my wife on her errands and the jeep got us there and back.

    [​IMG]

    Mrs. Tomasinator getting chauffeured in the CJ3B:

    [​IMG]
     
    ITLKSEZ, 47v6, mortten and 7 others like this.
  2. Jan 20, 2019
    73 cj5

    73 cj5 Not ready for the junkyard yet

    Clinton, Mississippi
    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2014
    Messages:
    2,137
    Need pictures of the Jeep
     
  3. Jan 20, 2019
    tomasinator

    tomasinator Member

    Redmond, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2015
    Messages:
    415
  4. Jan 20, 2019
    Bowbender

    Bowbender I'm workin' on it!

    Northern Minn.
    Joined:
    Nov 14, 2014
    Messages:
    561
    I see a couple "Jeep grins" (y):clap:
     
    Glenn likes this.
  5. Jan 20, 2019
    scoutpilot

    scoutpilot Member

    Asheboro, NC
    Joined:
    Jun 7, 2014
    Messages:
    428
    Excellent old school diagnostics!
     
  6. Jan 20, 2019
    homersdog

    homersdog Tulsa, Ok 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Tulsa, OK
    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2012
    Messages:
    2,352
    You have a very patient wife! (y)
     
    tomasinator and Glenn like this.
  7. Jan 20, 2019
    Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Apopka, Fl
    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2002
    Messages:
    12,367
    X2!
     
  8. Feb 16, 2019
    duffer

    duffer Rodent Power

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2009
    Messages:
    4,457
    X3! I don't like those clamp type battery terminals for the very reason you experienced. I use a bolt type battery cable terminal with a crimp cable lug. Following the crimp, I add solder to the top of the lug and then heat shrink over all of it except where the actual bolt contact is. Never have had a failure with those. That said, an AGM sealed battery also does wonders.
     
    mike starck and Rich M. like this.
  9. Feb 16, 2019
    47v6

    47v6 junk wrecker! 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    USA
    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2006
    Messages:
    5,798
    its almost always bad grounds in my experience.
     
  10. Feb 17, 2019
    tomasinator

    tomasinator Member

    Redmond, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2015
    Messages:
    415
    I took my 15 year old nephew out to a church parking lot this afternoon to teach him how to drive a stick shift. We were in the '53 cj3b that started this thread. For some reason, my jeep has VW steering wheel. All of my kids learned to drive in a manual transmission '86 Isuzu Trooper and that car was passed down from one kid to the other. They all loved it.

    [​IMG]
     
    ITLKSEZ, CJMark, 47v6 and 1 other person like this.
  11. Feb 18, 2019
    PeteL

    PeteL If it wasn't for physics, and law enforcement... 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Hills of NH
    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2003
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    ...and with a "wrist-breaker," no less.
     
  12. Feb 23, 2019
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    Aug 10, 2003
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