M35A3 - Won't Start Need for Memorial Day Parade

[OldSchoolAmerica]

Ran my truck last week getting ready for parade. No issues. Went out Thursday night for a drive and not even a click when hit the start button. Looked at voltage gauge and on border of yellow/red. Thought this was a simple battery issue. Pulled the tray and looked at the batteries and noticed some sketchy connections. Especially the battery interconnect cable pictured below. It looks like lots of heat being generated at the cable as well as one connector actually looks like the copper melted away. Picture was after I cleaned them up, but before I thought I was crazy and had a new custom cable built to replace it.

So.... ran to a friends Interstate shop and had them tested, one at 8.5V and the other at 12.5V also tested all the cells and they were OK. Also, when I pulled them I noticed the manufacture date of August 2010 on both, so I was glad they were almost new. Brought them home and charged them overnight. Then spent the evening cleaning all connections. This morning the one at 8.5V was now 11.5V and not going any higher and the other at 12.6V.

Dropped them in the box and grabbed my sunglasses ready for a ride. Hit the accessory switch and now needle at border of green/yellow. Hit start switch, now I have some clicks and maybe I heard a slight starter engagement/turn. Also, when I hit the start button the voltage gauge goes to bottom of red.

I still think it's a bad battery caused by faulty connection or possible the alternator not charging. Any other thoughts?? I typically would work this out longer, but I really want to get it running for the parade as I agreed to drive some vets who are really looking forward to it.

 

[kennys@wi.rr.com]

It sounds like you may have a short within one of the batteries. Similar thing happened to a friends KW and that's what the found was the case. Could be a loose plate inside the battery causing it. So when you move the batt around to take it out and to the shop the plate moves and all is well. Then move it around again to put back in the truck and all not so well. Just a thought, but I am no battery expert.

 

[73m819]

I would replace the low battery, there is a reason it won't go to 12.5

 

[ryan77]

Battery should still be under warranty! Replace it!!

 

[OldSchoolAmerica]

Thanks guys - the concensus is leaning to the one battery.

Ryan - I didn't even think about the warranty. I'm curious if they would honor it since I was not the original purchaser. But hey, it's worth a shot.

 

[Blueduce]

If you have any other cars you can pull the batts out of them. It's nice out so you shouldn't need any serious CCA. Just use the car batts for the day. Also check the connection at your solenoid, alternator and starter. they may just need a tightening or you may have a chaise ground along the way. So retrace your battery cables. If you have any other aftermarket electronics check them as well. Good luck.

 

[sandcobra164]

I had a similar issue with my CUCV recently. I left it for a static display, someone turned on the interior lights which means, someone rotated the light switch and turned on the under dash lights since CUCV's don't have a dome light. Anyhow, the back battery was good but the front battery was discharged beyond charging or recovering. I changed both so that they would be of the same age, the old one's were almost 3 years old and with the quirky electrical system in the CUCV, I figured it would be cheap insurance.

 

[OldSchoolAmerica]

Thanks Blue. I will give it a shot in the AM.

Does anyone have comments about the interconnect cable. Is this common?

 

[73m819]

Yes for a loose connection, or a OVER tightened connection, that is why the cable end goes under the bolt head, not the nut, as you tighten down the nut it digs up the end

 

[OldSchoolAmerica]

Thanks to a local SS who provided two loaner 6TL's truck started immediately.

Now I know my starter is OK and I have low batteries... BUT was the drained batteries due to the bad connection OR alternator. Soooo... I started the truck and disconnected the ground cable to the battery, and truck started to stall. Is this behavior similar to a car indicating my alternator is bad... or is this logical because I broke a critical circuit that I am unfamiliar with???

Please provide guidance as I do not want to use the loaner batteries if they could get drained. After I shut the truck down I immediately disconnected the batteries.

 

[kennys@wi.rr.com]

Correct me if I'm wrong but, don't the generators require an exciter wire and by removing the ground you would have broken that circuit? I'm not well enough versed in the A3 electrical system to say for sure.

 

[73m819]

Thanks to a local SS who provided two loaner 6TL's truck started immediately.

Now I know my starter is OK and I have low batteries... BUT was the drained batteries due to the bad connection OR alternator. Soooo... I started the truck and disconnected the ground cable to the battery, and truck started to stall. Is this behavior similar to a car indicating my alternator is bad... or is this logical because I broke a critical circuit that I am unfamiliar with???

Please provide guidance as I do not want to use the loaner batteries if they could get drained. After I shut the truck down I immediately disconnected the batteries.

You do this, your alt. WILL be bad, no matter if bad before. tyying to say not a good idea

 

[OldSchoolAmerica]

You do this, your alt. WILL be bad, no matter if bad before. tyying to say not a good idea

Thanks 819...

Any recommendations on how to test if alternator is bad? Loaner batteries showed up on the border of the yellow/green on the volt gauge and did not change when ran engine.

I have a 90 year old WWII vet. I promised to drive in the truck during the parade and I would feel terrible if I need to back out.

 

[73m819]

Put your multi meter on, see what the out put is, make sure you have GREAT grounds, as well as ALL the other connections, BORROW a good alt, see if things change, this is a few minutes of work, but will tell you if your alt / reg. is bad, When you change out disconnect the batteries first,

 

[OldSchoolAmerica]

Cleaned all connections, no one local w/A3 so quick alternator swap was unfortunately out. Read the troubleshooting manual on electrical system. Tested battery voltage (shy of 25V), started truck, ran @ 1200rpm w/lights, tested voltage at batteries, slave connection and on alternator. All numbers were the same, shy of 25V. Turned the adjustment screw on the alternator to boost voltage, no change.

So, this novice thinks it's the alternator. I'll bring it to a shop on Tuesday to have a real mechanic bench test and potentially rebuild.

It looks like the parade is out.

 

[sandcobra164]

Just don't run the headlights and don't shut the truck off and it should be fine for the parade. Use a battery charger to top the batteries back off when you've completed your trip and you should be fine. If you have a 3 lever switch, switch the lights on as you normally would and then move the bottom left lever all the way down and you'll only have marker lights and brake lights.

 

[OldSchoolAmerica]

Just don't run the headlights and don't shut the truck off and it should be fine for the parade. Use a battery charger to top the batteries back off when you've completed your trip and you should be fine. If you have a 3 lever switch, switch the lights on as you normally would and then move the bottom left lever all the way down and you'll only have marker lights and brake lights.

Thanks... all good suggestions. However, my batteries still didn't recover from the ordeal and I have trickle charged them for 24 hours. So I do not want to roll the dice with my friends set currently in the truck.

Therefore, this afternoon I pulled the alternator so I can bring it to the shop. I guess it was good I pulled it. I found out the lower mounting bracket is broken... see pictures below. Anyone know where to get a replacement A3 bracket?

 

[73m819]

weld it

 

[kennys@wi.rr.com]

There is a new updated version that puts another support in there to the block. I put one on for another member when I picked up their A3 last year. I think he got it from Ericks if I'm not mistaken. But as I recall it wasn't cheap some where around $125.

 

[Hoefler]

The melted cable sounds similar to what happened to my A3. The copper disc in my solenoid shorted out when the plastic bushing isolator failed. I went to start the truck-she fired upn and died quickly. Trying to restart-all electrical was dead. When into the house to look at TM's for a couple minutes-when I came back out, the battery that connects to ground was smoking (Optima redtop). Smoke forcefully out of case. Had to jump in with a set of safety glasses and gloves and disconnect the ground wire. Battery was melting the top-balls shrunk up too. No battery recover from heat-us maximus. I replaced the entire starter and new batteries. I am back in the saddle running good again.