I've been having starting problems for the past couple of months as well as some electrical issues.

Starting:
When the car is cold, it starts pretty well. It wasn't as good as it used to be, but no real complaints when cold. Now when it gets hot, it barely has the power to turn the motor over. It is very slow and labored and has led to quite a few clutch/bump starts. Yesterday I took off every conection I could find and wire brushed them. I had the battery tested and while sitting (not under load) it had 730 CCA and 12.7 volts. Exactly what it's rated at. And this is my 3rd battery in a 1.5 years (crappy kragen). I replaced the alternator a few months back thinking it wasn't charging. Still the problem persits...

Last night I go to the gas station and the car has warmed up...and only got the dead battery sound/ticking sound when I turned it over. It tried for like a second...and then just the ticking. So fast forward until after all of the cleaning and a fully cooled engine. It turns over with effort, but at the initial contact/turn of the key I am getting that sound of a dead battery (kind of a zapping sound) and then it will start up. All that within a second or two. Not the most confident starting.

So any ideas for the starting? I have bypased the neutral safey switch (it is just an open closed switch which I twist tied together) so I can eleminate that. I will buy a starter if that is the case...but don't want to throw $150 away. It isn't the security system (VATS) as the light has never flashed...but I haven't checked the ignition switch...even a possibility?

Electrical:
I've also been having random electrical issues. My radio can't seem to maintain power. It will work fine at lower volume levels, but as soon as I turn it up to about 1/4, it will turn off (as in no power/black face off). It does this whenever the system goes under load too. Like when the fans kick on for the first time...the draw on the system kills the radio. Or when I turn the AC on, the initial click on turns the radio off and then it comes back on.

And the same ABS/dummy lights flash when I hit a hard shift. I think it is more of an electrical issue than a hardware issue. These lights sometimes flash on (without stored codes) when I have the starting problems too.

The electrical problems lead me to believe it is a grounding issue/power issue. I have checked all of the obvious places, fuses, harnes behind radio etc and nothing wierd. Just can't maintain power consistancy.


So I am stumped. Sorry I wrote you guys a novel...any ideas? Starter? Ground? Other?

Thanks

Sean - 94 Z28

 

that's a lot of CCA's!

Anyways I think you should go to a local auto parts store and get your alternator checked underload.

where did you get your new one by the way? Dealership

-b

 

check all of the batt cable connections, the connecvions at the power thing by the batt too, sounds like you might have some corrosion, check the ground cable connections too

 

I got the alternator from autozone and it came with a warranty and such. I had that tested awhile back, and it was fine. It put out 14.x volts.

I already checked every connection and ground that I could find and wire brushed them (cleaned them till shiny). I did the block, battery, starter, frame (by the battery) and a couple other bolts in the engine bay that I just thought looked dirty. I thought the CCA was a little bit wierd, because the battery says it is rated at 680 or 630, but the guage they used said 730.

Tonight I am going to test the battery under load while I am starting it, maybe it is a dead cell or something.

Any other ideas? I hate have to bump start a car that has all new ignition/electrical stuff.



Would a heat soaked starter cause the issues? Maybe a weak one?

 

sounds like a good battery to me you could jump start an 18 wheeler!
but seriously autozone alt.'s suck. You should get a OEM one from jason or Powermaster if you need more juice.

About the starter thing I'm not sure; that sounds logical though.

I have a simular problem w/ my car. It will start fine 95% of the time. The other 5% is right after I turn off the car. If I try to start it back up after I just turned it off nope, just cranks. I have to wait a little while and then it will start. So maybe it could be are starter's getting heat soaked??

I have a new alt., bat. and I've upgraded my wires to 2 gauges's (PITA). With no luck so far.
-b

 

TTT....... Anyone else?

 

more than likely its the starter. Probably heat soaked but you dont hear much about that on the lt1..the windings or selonoid could be bad.. hard to say.The alt is most likely not the problem it is either keeping the battery charged or not.it has nothing directly to do with starting as long as the battery is charged..one last thing did you clean the short connection that goes from the sel to the starter motor?? This could also cause the problem and its easily overlooked!!!

 

I'm not quite sure what connection your talking about. I cleaned both connections on the starter the ground and what I assume was the power. There was a second smaller wire that leads into the seloniod that is also connected to one of the poles. I cleaned off the end that was accesible but the other end went internal. Is that the one you were refering to?

Tomorrow I am going to get out the voltometer and check the connector that is on top of the steering column as well as the ignition switch. Shoebox has a picture of that harness melted from head on his ignition switch swap page. Somone told me that harness transmits the current/completes the circut from the ignition switch to the starter and the accesories (radio and such). Don't know what I'm looking for in there though.

Anyone else have a similar problem/solution/idea?

And thanks to those who have responded.

 

The first thing you should do is put battery voltage directly to the starter and solenoid using a jumper cable. This will obvious tell you if there is a supply problem to the starter or the starter itself. If it turns out to be a supply problem, you still have to split it in 2. Is it a switching or true supply problem. The next thing to do is try bypassing the key switch with a jumper. The only thing left is harness connectors or wire from there.

Good luck