Electrical Question
 

I'm not the greatest on electrical stuff, so here is what is going on. I went out to the car and getting ready for a jaunt off to get coffee with the old guys and when I hit the starter I got a "Umph." Sounded dead so I turned on the lights, nothing. Put the charger on and that afternoon took another look at things. Light is green on the charger, indicating fully charged. Hydrometer reads about 1200+. Then I hit the starter and as before, Thump, no turn and no lights, nothing on the amp meter either. Put the charger back on and it took it a while to come back green again. I had just changed the starter and got the identical result.I tried to start to no avail and so I got out my crank and with one quarter of a lift it was running fine, lights work, horn is healthy and amp meter is just past zero on the plus side. I have 6V neg. grd. alternator that seems to work fine. Car had been running well since I installed the engine a few weeks back. I'm guessing a bad ground from the symptoms, though I have a ground strap to a tranny bolt and have all the posts and clamps cleaned to fresh metal. Any suggestions at this point? I hate pulling up the floor boards, but that is my next thought.

Re: Electrical Question
 

With the batterey charged take hydrometer readings on all the cells , 1200 seem low , try a different batt. and see what happens.

Re: Electrical Question
 

possibly a shorted cell in your battery

Re: Electrical Question
 

Try a different battery.

Re: Electrical Question
 

With the information you gave it sounds like a separated cell in your battery. That said it could be a bad connection. I agree with trying a different battery first.

Re: Electrical Question
 

Discharged battery is 1.1, a battery at 50% discharge is 1.19. You say yours is 1.20? Is that for each cell or did you only test one?

My guess, Bad battery

Re: Electrical Question
 

Only 6V battery in the neighborhood. I'll see if I can borrow one. I'll do the hydrometer in all three cells again. Should be 1275 when fully charged, correct? Never had a hydrometer read that high in my life, but we'll give it another go around then borrow another battery for a test. This battery isn't new, but I believe less than four years old. Thanks for the tips.

Re: Electrical Question
 

Four years appears to be the life of a Model A battery (lead acid) based on the personal experience and from others here on the forum.

Re: Electrical Question
 

Put a 4 to 6 amp charger on the battery for 8 to 10 hours, then put the volt meter leads on the battery posts (not the clamps) and read the voltage when you hit the starter.
Let us know what you have for voltage.

Re: Electrical Question
 

Okay, dead cell on the end toward the ground wire on battery. Reads about 1.100 when the other two come up to 1.250 / 1.275. Now I'm thinking about an Optima battery. What are my choices and which does this body recommend? I see only one Optima 6V offered on Amazon, where they have a slue of 12V. Any other good choices. I think Amazon is near 116 with free shipping. Sound right?
Thanks

Re: Electrical Question
 

I like the old common lead acid batteries and usually get over 10 years out of them. The ones in my 1950 Studebaker and 1928 Model A are both over 10 years old and still going strong. They cost much less also.

Re: Electrical Question
 

Thanks Tom, you must have access to better brands than we do here on the left coast. I seem to have good luck if they make it four or five years. I'd be thrilled to get one to last seven years. Probably be the last one I'll need however long it lasts though.

Re: Electrical Question
 

Tom's last because thy were old before he got them and made from real lead. I recently posted what I learned from a custom battery maker about the quality of Chinese lead plates (the quality is zero) and that USA lead is no longer available thanks to the EPA.

I cannot get more than 4 yrs from a battery nowadays, and in some cases just barely 13 months, which takes it out of the warranty period