[DeTomaso] Slow cranking when hot

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/16/17 2 49 18, npdrs at maui.net writes:


> Thanks for all great suggestions, I will check one by one, starting with 
> battery, grounding......
> What is strange that it had this problem 3 times on first day, but it 
> never happened again on second and third day of the trip....car definitely got 
> just as hot on those days!?
> 

>>>Robert,

I think there is much that has been left unsaid in your story.

Isn't it true that you live in Hawaii and your Pantera lives in Europe, and 
you visit it occasionally and drive it for awhile?   And isn't it then true 
that you came to your car this week and turned the key for the first time 
in a long while, and then experienced the problem on the first day, but not 
on the subsequent days?

If I have that correct (it's supposition based on things you have said in 
months/years past), then the problem is likely an obvious one--you had a weak 
battery from sitting for a long time.   It was strong enough to start the 
car when cold, not strong enough initially to start when hot.   But after 
driving for a few hours, your alternator was able to return the battery to a 
fully charged state, and therefore it's subsequently working just fine.

Is that a true statement?

Was your ammeter deflected towards the 'charge' side on the first day, 
indicating that the alternator was pouring energy into your battery to try to 
get it back to a fully charged state?   Is that deflection less now?

If I lined up all my guesses correctly, you don't really have a problem 
other than improper car storage.

Do you have a battery cutoff switch?   I have had tremendous luck with 
those, extending the life and the fully charged state of my batteries to an 
almost endless degree.   Even when you don't have any obvious electrical 
'parasites' on your car such as a clock, alarm system etc., when a battery is left 
connected, it slowly drains.   A cutoff switch isolates it, and it seems to 
retain its charge almost forever.

Tell me if I'm right?

Mike
-------------- next part --------------
   In a message dated 7/16/17 2 49 18, npdrs at maui.net writes:

     Thanks for all great suggestions, I will check one by one, starting
     with battery, grounding......
     What is strange that it had this problem 3 times on first day, but
     it never happened again on second and third day of the trip....car
     definitely got just as hot on those days!?

   >>>Robert,
   I think there is much that has been left unsaid in your story.
   Isn't it true that you live in Hawaii and your Pantera lives in Europe,
   and you visit it occasionally and drive it for awhile?  And isn't it
   then true that you came to your car this week and turned the key for
   the first time in a long while, and then experienced the problem on the
   first day, but not on the subsequent days?
   If I have that correct (it's supposition based on things you have said
   in months/years past), then the problem is likely an obvious one--you
   had a weak battery from sitting for a long time.  It was strong enough
   to start the car when cold, not strong enough initially to start when
   hot.  But after driving for a few hours, your alternator was able to
   return the battery to a fully charged state, and therefore it's
   subsequently working just fine.
   Is that a true statement?
   Was your ammeter deflected towards the 'charge' side on the first day,
   indicating that the alternator was pouring energy into your battery to
   try to get it back to a fully charged state?  Is that deflection less
   now?
   If I lined up all my guesses correctly, you don't really have a problem
   other than improper car storage.
   Do you have a battery cutoff switch?  I have had tremendous luck with
   those, extending the life and the fully charged state of my batteries
   to an almost endless degree.  Even when you don't have any obvious
   electrical 'parasites' on your car such as a clock, alarm system etc.,
   when a battery is left connected, it slowly drains.  A cutoff switch
   isolates it, and it seems to retain its charge almost forever.
   Tell me if I'm right?
   Mike