[DeTomaso] Car suddenly not turning over......Any help appreciated

Thomas Tornblom Thomas.Tornblom at hax.se
Tue Mar 17 11:27:09 EDT 2009


clay willmott skrev:
> Thanks for responses.
> 
> I have a huge  "donated" MAC battery charger on wheels that goes up to 
> 180 amp boost in corner of garage-never been used.  Car started first 
> turn on this so is low battery.
> The Chinese 100 amp small charger on boost must not be enough for 
> starting.  I am gonna buy a good tester.  I have two chargers and no 
> tester, kind of ironic.
> 
> I am not sure about these Optima batteries.  They last less than a year 
> for me.  One of my family members works for Deka batteries and really 
> discourages me from these Optimas.

I got about 8 years out of the yellow top optima that was in the car 
when I bought it. It had probably been in the car for two years or so 
before I bought the car. I had to replace it last year. I bought a new 
yellow top optima. You must really be beating the battery up if it 
doesn't last more than a year!

> 
> I had it on 2 amp cont. any time I am in the garage working on car, 15 
> amp cont. if lights on while re-wiring relays.
> I guess I may have had the lights on too long while testing my new 
> headlight controller and they pull more than 15 amps I am sure.
> 
> Should I recharge the battery or take it back?  It is under warranty, if 
> they go low for Yellow top deep cycle and I go for a slow 10 hour auto 
> charge on 15 amp would it be good as new?

Recharge it first. My old battery went flat when I had forgotten to 
disconnect it for a few weeks, and charging it worked.

I really recommend a good intelligent charger. I'm using a Cetek Zafir 90:

http://www.ctek.com/EN-GB/Buy-Charger.aspx?charger=zafir90

I guess the US 800 would be a similar model for the US:

http://www.ctek.com/EN-US/Buy-US-Charger.aspx


Do you have anything that drains the battery when you're not driving? If 
I forget to disconnect it, it will go flat in about two weeks. If I 
disconnect, it probably holds the charge over the winter.


> 
> 
> 
>  > Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:16:57 +0100
>  > From: Thomas.Tornblom at hax.se
>  > To: claywillmott at hotmail.com
>  > CC: detomaso at realbig.com
>  > Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Car suddenly not turning over......Any help 
> appreciated
>  >
>  > clay willmott skrev:
>  > > Follow Up:
>  > >
>  > > I decided to hold the car on start a few seconds and after the 
> brief turn, then silence, the a loud ratcheting machine gun noise will 
> consistently emit from the side of the passenger engine ( I think).
>  > >
>  > > I would assume this is a bad starter??? If so how often do they go 
> bad? Glad I was at home and not traveling in it far away.
>  >
>  > Check the engine ground and battery wire connections for oxide.
>  >
>  > I'd remove and clean all the connections before replacing the starter.
>  > The relay can also be bad.
>  >
>  > >
>  > >
>  > >
>  > > Clay
>  > >
>  > >> From: claywillmott at hotmail.com
>  > >> To: detomaso at realbig.com
>  > >> Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:49:39 -0400
>  > >> Subject: [DeTomaso] Car suddenly not turning over......Any help 
> appreciated
>  > >>
>  > >>
>  > >> I have had my car on the 2 amp charge while I am working on the 
> electrical system. I have not had it on charge when in storage. The 
> battery is a yellow optima about 6 months old.
>  > >>
>  > >> I go out to start the car and it only turns a 1/8 turn or so and 
> completely stops. No groaning or anything else after the split second 
> turn, just silence.
>  > >>
>  > >> I don't have a battery checker but my battery put the lights up 
> and down quickly and headlights are bright.
>  > >> I put my charger on 100 AMP start to the battery and still only 
> the brief turn and silence.
>  > >>
>  > >> I have the MSD system and a high torque starter etc. Alternator 
> was checked just last year and is fairly new. Starter looks fairly new 
> and likely was replaced with engine overhaul a few years back by prior 
> owner.
>  > >>
>  > >> Is this a bad starter or something else? Any help appreciated.
>  > >>
>  > >> I have been running the car for 2-5 minutes 3 times a week for 
> last two weeks to bleed out any remaining air from radiator and new 
> pipes for cooling overhaul. It started easily other than the first start 
> up from winter.
>  > >>
>  > >>
>  > >> Thanks
>  > >>
>  > >> Clay
>  > >>
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>  > Real life: Thomas Törnblom Email: Thomas.Tornblom at Hax.SE
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-- 
Real life:   Thomas Törnblom             Email:  Thomas.Tornblom at Hax.SE
Snail mail:  Banvallsvägen 14            Phone:    +46 18 444 33 21
              S - 754 40 Uppsala, Sweden  Cellular: +46 70 261 1372




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