flat battery? new to this

[LadyLuck]

I have a new (to me) 1984 Chevy M1008.
Started and ran good on day one...days two and three...won't start
It's turning over but not starting, and today the turning over has slowed down to a chug and finally stopped.
Is this a flat battery?
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated
Thank you

 

[R Racing]

sounds like dead batteries you have now. I have never heard of a flat battery ? LOL

 

[cucvrus]

Flat batteries is an English thing. I would say you are going to have to round them blot batteries out with a good charge and then do an assessment of the situation. Do you have glow plugs? Do you have Fuel? Are the batteries charged enough and strong enough that they are turning the starter over fast enough to ignite the fuel. Clean all the positive and earth connections Lift the bonnet and carry on directly. It could be any of the things I listed or more. Keep up informed. We love to help out.

 

[LadyLuck]

Thanks so much that's really helpful.
Flat battery must be an English thing...we all say that over here lol!!
So...fuel is half a tank, so that's ok.
Yes I have glow plugs and a load of spare ones but don't know how to change it if needs be.
I'm pretty sure it's the batteries the more I think about it. I'm looking at chargers/jump starters on Ebay...found a few at reasonable prices on ebay.co.uk.
Any advice on buying/using one of these things?
So happy I found this website...thanks guys

 

[swbradley1]

I would charge each one individually and when you are done connect a load tester to them and see what happens. Any battery I have ever had that was weak shows up in a few seconds on my el cheapo tester.

Welcome aboard from the other side of the pond.

 

[cucvrus]

Disconnect both batteries. Start with the front negative and the rear negative next. Then the front positive and the rear positive last. I know some one else will yell you a different way, but so be it. It works for me. Charge each battery separate. You will need to load test the battery after it is charged. Just because it has 12 volts does not mean it has the correct amperage to crank the engine. Keep that in mind. I have a local battery shop that does all that kind of testing at N/C. I bought several hundred batteries from them over the years but they still do the testing for drive in customers on a daily basis. Check that route out and see what you come up with. Keep us in the loop.

 

[swbradley1]

Yes, you can bring your batteries over to the Auto Zone up the street from me and they will test them for free. The shipping and air fare will kill you though.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

Thanks so much that's really helpful.
Flat battery must be an English thing...we all say that over here lol!!

I've heard it a few times over here, but usually we say "dead" batteries. It was perfectly clear to me what you meant, though. And, unlike far too many over here, you know the difference between "turns over" and "starts". (Probably because you speak English and that's what those words mean? )



Don't let the batteries sit in an uncharged state - that's a good way to kill a battery permanently. Pop over to your nearest auto parts store and pick up a charger - if you wait for something to ship, your batteries will be permanently damaged. Getting a charge on them needs to be the first thing you do. Maybe a local auto shop can charge and test them for you.

 

[Rustyshackelford]

I think when he asked if you have glow plugs, he meant to say "are your glow plugs working?" On the first day, if the guy you bought it from used starting fluid to start it and then warmed the engine up, it would continue to start easily until the engine cooled down. Hence the 2nd day no start.

The same thing goes for the "do you have fuel" comment. Fuel in the tank is great but, the real question is, do you have fuel to the engine?

 

[mkcoen]

The same thing goes for the "do you have fuel" comment. Fuel in the tank is great but, the real question is, do you have fuel to the engine?

And just because the gauge says "half tank" doesn't mean there's that much in it. Military fuel gauges are like lawyers and politicians. They lie.

 

[Skinny]

Congrats on the new purchase!

I would recommend not only charging your batteries but reading through all the stickies here to avoid any catastrophic failures like melted wires, run away starters (they don't run away from you physically, they run on like a naggy mate...chip chip), and exploding engines.

I would say checking/changing out your fuel lines, fuel filter, glow plugs, doghead mod, and charging your batteries will put you in a good position for seeing what needs to be addressed down the road. A failure with any of these will cause failures of other things or leave you stranded. Once you get it starting reliably, you will want to move on to rebuilding your alternators, replacing hoses, etc. since the previous owner more than likely neglected these items as most do.

Cheers

 

[eme411]

to start I suggest you print off the TM's from this site , what is your knowledge on diesel engines? if it is not good get yourself some help , should be easy in the UK with the number of diesel vehicles on the road there, if you do have some mechanical knowledge the books will help you greatly, get yourself involved with the Military Vehicle Trust , you'll make friends and find more people there that own these types of trucks and be able to help you with your new hobby,

 

[LadyLuck]

Thanks everyone!

That's lots to keep me busy. I'll charge the batteries first and see what happens, then look at glow plug and fuel situations...that right?

Rustyshackelford...I drove it for about half an hour on day one and the engine was running for a bit longer...that must mean that fuel is getting to the engine?

I'll be back to report my progress...thanks again

 

[LadyLuck]

Just a bit of my background so you know what level of advice to give me...
I've got a bit of experience with old British cars (had a few Fords from the late 50s), but that was 15-20 years ago.
Did some work on them but nothing major...silly little jobs really! Had modern cars since then.
Spent 10 years driving big old red London Buses for my job!
Always wanted 'a big American pickup truck' since I was a kid...and here it is!!!
So I think all of the above really just points to the fact that I know absolutely nothing as I and you all probably suspected lol

 

[eme411]

well now that you have told us your knowledge level we can better help you, print off the books , get a ohm meter and read the trouble shooting section on the glow system , I would guess that one of 3 things do not function , glow plugs , glow plug card, or solenoid , please post some photos of your dash and engine compartment , so we can determine if the truck is still stock or someone has played with it, we are looking for extra switches and buttons on the dash also if your truck is still 24 volt,

 

[rsh4364]

Is it still 24/12v? My best advice is use the search function top of page,you can type in cucv no start or hard start and learn tons or kilos of info !Sometimes Im in the archives for hours.Also pick up a multi meter and test light for electrical issues. Congrats and have fun.

 

[Flyingvan911]

CUCV batteries have to be inflated to 50 psi highway, 20 psi mud/sand.

 

[cpf240]

Since you know how to work on old English cars, you should be able to handle the CUCVs electrical system...

 

[Rustyshackelford]

Thanks everyone!

That's lots to keep me busy. I'll charge the batteries first and see what happens, then look at glow plug and fuel situations...that right?

Rustyshackelford...I drove it for about half an hour on day one and the engine was running for a bit longer...that must mean that fuel is getting to the engine?

I'll be back to report my progress...thanks again

yes but it doesn't mean the fuel hasn't drained back to the tank after sitting. Look In my profile for my first post titled "issues with my truck" and you'll see me working my way though a no start situation similar to yours. This may or may not be your problem but it seems to be a common one. Take note of the TM section suggested to me in that post by a moderator. That section tells you exactly how to troubleshoot the glow plug starting routine.

The first two questions I'd like to know are Does your glow plug relay "click" when you turn the key on? Does your "wait" light work?

 

[Rustyshackelford]

I'd also suggest reading posts in this forum like a mad man. I'm on page 94 and I've learned a ton. These trucks aren't going to run themselves and you need to get real familiar real quick with your new toy. It'll make your life easier in the long run.