Shampue

Hi,

the 65 is having a starting issue. With a known good, fully charged battery, the engine turns over 2x then click click click click.

Is this being caused by the starter solenoid? It's a cheap replacement so I'm going to replace it anyways. But I'm curious if it could also be the starter or something else.

Urambo Tauro

If the battery passes a load test and everything, then yeah you could have a bad solenoid there. Could also be a loose connection, which you'll be tightening up anyway when you put that new solenoid in. A voltage drop test before removal would confirm if that's the case.

Shampue

Thanks. 53 year old wiring, after all

If I still have issue after the selenoid is replaced then I will replace the +/- cables too

08'MustangDude

I had an issue starting a boat motor, with known good Gel Cell batteries.
The motor would crank slow, and was hard to start. If it cranked too long
the wires got hot, and it would slow in cranking. I could wait a few minutes,
and start the process all over again. I put up with it for a year, thinking it was
just how the motor cranked. Then, just before I sold it, I replaced the battery
cables, gave it a crank and the motor spun 3x faster than before, and longer,
and started up much faster.

There were times we just decided to open it up, and use the pull start on the motor....
In the end, it was the bad wires...

The wires to the battery were so frayed and oxidized under the insulation,
it was not getting enough current to the starter. I already made the
commitment to sell it, else I would have held on to it another season...

Same if the battery has bad cells. IT can appear to be fine, voltage wise,
but not have the cranking amps or load capacity. I had Gel Cells, they
can take a load longer than AGM or regular lead acid batteries. They're
made for long and extended load times.

Shampue

Yeah.. Replaced the starter solenoid, same issue. I'll order a new set of cables, maybe remove the starter and test that too

Worth1

STOP SPENDING MONEY. there is a 95% chance you have a dirty connection, pull all the cables , clean the ends with a wire brush and put them back on.
You said it turns over 2 times, do you mean 2 revolutions, or you turn the key and crank the engine over for a few seconds, then do it again, then it wont crank?
If you put that battery in a different vehicle is it OK?

Shampue

Worth. When I say two times, I mean:
whir whir click click click . Not turning the key twice. the 2nd time I turn the key, I just get clicks.

I'll do as you suggested and wire brush the ends of the cables.

As for the battery, its a new red cap Optimum. If I put it in my68, it turns the engine just fine, but only for a few key turns. The battery is only getting an overnight trickle charge at the moment. Maybe its a faulty battery too?

Regardless, I'll start with cleaning up the old cables and contacts and go from there.

thx

bop11

Have you tried jumping the battery from another vehicle? When you say "it works fine but only for a few key turns" sounds like the battery is not charged or bad.
Besides all the other things, this could be a bad starter, or a problem in the engine causing it to compression lock.
Try jumping it first. By the way when you hook the battery up with the ignition off to you get a spark? If so you could have a bad regulator.

Shampue

A regulator is another $30-ish..
One of the most frustrating things so far has been this process:
- need a part, let's find the cheapest price
- Check CJpony parts
- Check RockAuto
- Check Amazon
- Check eBay
- Check Advance Auto, Napa, Autozone, Oreily's, Carquest.
- do they have it in stock, don't they, is their free shipping, etc....

I feel like I spend an hour just trying to see where best to get the damn part lol

Worth1

You're trying to throw money at it again, stop doing that. Charge the battery properly, and clean all the terminals and cable connections. If you can get that battery to start your other car, drive it around for an hour or 2 then try it, or have it charged by someone other than an idiot at autozone.