The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Starting problem

53 Chev 5100. Original 6 volt system. Newwiring harness a couple years back. No electrical problems since, till now. Couple disclaimers. 1. No sending unit in gas tank so gauge not hooked up. As a result, when I turn the ignition on the gas gauge just pegs. Always has. 2. I'm electrically challenged, I'll admit that up front. Tried to start a couple of days ago. Slow crank, like battery was low. Then nothing. I noticed that when I stepped on the starter, the gas gauge would fall slowly, just like it does when I turn key off. Charged battery. It's an Optima and checks 6v with my volt meter. Took all cables, ground straps off and cleaned and put back. Still nothing. Checked starter switch. Sure looks fine. Pulled starter. Had it bench tested at a reputable rebuilder. They said it was fine and also said switch looked fine. Back together. Same thing. Turn on key. Gas gauge goes to full. Stomp starter. Nothing, except gas gauge falls. If I do it 2-3 times the gas gauge stays down even when I turn key on. Walk away for 30 min and now gas gauge will spike when I turn key on but engine will not crank. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Geo

Maybe and I mean just maybe it's time for a new battery or follow the refresh sequence for Optima batteries.🛠

Geo, the ignition switch should have nothing to do with whether the starter will turn the engine over or not. It does connect the circuit from the battery to the ignition coil so the engine won't start unless the key is in the run position, but that should not have anything to do with whether or not the stomp starter should be able to crank the engine.

Have you tried jump starting the truck? If you are sure that your starter is properly grounded and that the cable from the battery to the starter is good, it should turn over with a jump start. The battery might not have the cranking capacity to turn over the engine. You can jump it with a vehicle with a 12 volt battery. A jump start should let you know one way or the other. Any FLAPS should be able to test your battery with a load tester if you don't have one.

You might also want to be sure that the engine will turn over by hand. You don't want to force anything if something has locked up and that is what is causing the problem. Long shot, but might be worth checking.

My suggestion is to forget about the gas gauge for now and assume that it is just a red herring.

Matt

Couple good ideas already. Thanks. I will have the battery load tested in the morning. It's July in Phoenix and nothing good comes from working outside after noon. If that doesn't tell me anything I can pull the plugs and spin the engine by hand to make sure that isn't the issue. Ref the switch, I was not referring to the ignition switch when I talked about pulling the switch and checking it. I was referring to the push button that sits atop the starter that is engaged by the stomp pedal. My service manual calls it the "starter switch".

First thing to do- - - - -with any type of battery, is to remove both battery cables and thoroughly clean the battery posts and the inside of the cable clamps with a wire brush. Reinstall the cables and tighten them. DO NOT TELL ME THE FOLLOWING:

"I shook the cables and they're tight".

"Everything looks good."

"It can't be that simple."

"It's gotta be the - - - - - - - -" (Fill in the blank with the appropriate item you suspect.)

At least 95% of the "no crank- - - - -everything goes dead" complaints can be fixed by a simple cable clamp and post cleaning- - - - - -at least it's been that way for the 60 or so years I've been tinkering with automotive electricity!
Jerry

Also, it is possible you have replacement battery cable/strap rated for a 12v system (4 or 6 gauge).

A six volt system should have no smaller (larger number) than 2 gauge cable/strap, and many of us go as low/large as 00 gauge cables.

Once again, thanks. I removed both cables, on both ends and thoroughly cleaned both inside of cables and battery posts and responded frame contact points. The cables are both 2/0 that I built and installed last year.

OK- - - - -now monitor the voltage at the battery posts (not the cable clamps) with a voltmeter as you try to put a starting load on the battery. If it drops to zero, or a very low reading, the battery is either discharged, or it has an internal open circuit. Sometimes a battery can develop an open circuit that allows it to register voltage when not under load, but it will go open circuit as soon as even a slight load is applied.
Jerry

Happy 4th of July to you all. Especially Jerry. That lesson you gave me on clean/tight battery cables hit home. It's the exact same thing my dad taught me 50 years ago when I was 14 and wanting to learn to help him keep the family cars running. I've given the same lesson to many youngsters thru the years. Problem is, I was sure they were good. So I fell back on another lesson he gave me, that being if you have checked everything and it still doesn't work, start over and check again. I was right, the connection to the posts were clean and tight. Problem was, the nice 00 cables I built last year have a bolt on head and guess what, the head was loose where the cable connected to it. As soon as I saw it, I felt like a big dummy. So I have rebuilt the cable, with tinned end on the cable, a new connector and blue loc-title on the threads. Cranks like a new truck. Thank you all.

The first hotrod engine I built back in the early 1960's was a flathead Ford V8 with 11.25:1 compression (Offenhauser finned aluminum heads) and a 6 volt electrical system. Thanks to some very patient tutoring by my father I learned a LOT about tracking down loose connections and measuring voltage drops. That knowledge has served me very well in several trades- - - -aircraft, industrial electricity, refrigeration, etc. as well as automotive. Good on ya for hanging in there!
Jerry