The Ford Barn

john charlton · 12-20-2017, 12:58 PM

Went to start my 28 phaeton but Sweet Nothing as Brenda Lee would say .HHHMMM I went, must be a flat battery . I switched on the headlights and they were nice and bright and the horn ahoogard loud and clear then I pushed on the starter button again and the lights went out . So I thought short in the starter switch so checked that out and it looked OK . With the switch off I touched the battery cable direct to the starter button only a slight spark and still no go so no dead short in the starter anyway. Very odd I thought as the battery was nearly new and I had put it on an overnight trickle charge . Took the starter out (easy job with RHD) checked it out and it spun OK on the bench(and tightened the two loose bendix bolts ).Took the battery out and flashed a heavy wire across it and it zapped mighty fine . I flashed across the tops of the posts which were bright and shiney . I then noticed the positive post side seemed to have a hard black coating so flashed on that and hardly a spark . Cleaned the post and Hey Presto problem solved !!! . I have never seen this before so you learn something new every day !!!

John in cold evening Suffolk County England .

12-20-2017, 12:58 PM	#1
john charlton Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1,343	Electrical mystery Went to start my 28 phaeton but Sweet Nothing as Brenda Lee would say .HHHMMM I went, must be a flat battery . I switched on the headlights and they were nice and bright and the horn ahoogard loud and clear then I pushed on the starter button again and the lights went out . So I thought short in the starter switch so checked that out and it looked OK . With the switch off I touched the battery cable direct to the starter button only a slight spark and still no go so no dead short in the starter anyway. Very odd I thought as the battery was nearly new and I had put it on an overnight trickle charge . Took the starter out (easy job with RHD) checked it out and it spun OK on the bench(and tightened the two loose bendix bolts ).Took the battery out and flashed a heavy wire across it and it zapped mighty fine . I flashed across the tops of the posts which were bright and shiney . I then noticed the positive post side seemed to have a hard black coating so flashed on that and hardly a spark . Cleaned the post and Hey Presto problem solved !!! . I have never seen this before so you learn something new every day !!! John in cold evening Suffolk County England .