Symptoms of a bad battery / connection?

[Camo-5]

Sounds like checking the battery cables is a quick, easy one. It does seem to crank a little longer than I would expect for an overall great running vehicle. I'm gonna check all the leads from the battery again tonight. I may try starting it using the jumper cables to the starter to see if it cranks quicker. Thanks!

 

[Rick Anderson]

I think you read me wrong. There are lots of things that can wrong that will make the motor require longing cranking time before it actually starts. But far less things will make the starter crank weaker or NOT at all.

So, it really doesn't matter how long it takes to crank to get the motor to start, that could be caused by dozen of things other than cables. If the starter is cranking the motor strong and reliably for the expected amount of time, then its unlikely there is something wrong with the starter motor/charging system, including the battery cables. It doesn't hurt to check, be careful, the current from the battery can heat things up fast enough and hot enough to easily burn you. BUT, I think your barking up the wrong tree here, if its cranks strong, but takes to long to start, you need to be looking at ignition and/or fuel, even sensors, NOT battery cables.

 

[Camo-5]

Gotcha! Makes sense. As long as it cranks, it's working and getting the correct 'juice' from the battery and thus the cables are fine....

I'm still suspect of the battery connections to my coil, so I plan on checking them anyway.

 

[Rick Anderson]

Exactly, now if you had a known good battery and starter and the motor was barely cranking, really slow, like the battery was almost dead and you confirmed the battery was good and charged as well as the starter, then I would suspect the battery cables may be bad. BUT, thats NOT the case, is it, so I would start with ignition and fuel things first.

 

[Camo-5]

:yelclap: Now we are on the same page!

Actually, I'm gonna close down this thread. It's been over 300 miles since I had the issue (I'm sure it's not gone), and I will open a new, more appropriatly titled thread when (I mean if) it happens again.....

Thanks for everyone's input!

 

[5-90]

Sounds like checking the battery cables is a quick, easy one. It does seem to crank a little longer than I would expect for an overall great running vehicle. I'm gonna check all the leads from the battery again tonight. I may try starting it using the jumper cables to the starter to see if it cranks quicker. Thanks!

Long cranking times are typically caused by contaminated/dirty/loose grounds. Here's a quick check...

Find (or make) a clean spot on the engine block, prefereably somewhere central.

Get out your booster cables. Pick one.

Clamp one end of the cable to the clean spot on the engine block, and the other to the battery - post.

Start.

If cranking times are signficantly reduced, you need to clean the engine ground.

Repeat, using a clean spot on the chassis (this may be more difficult to find.)

If cranking times are signficantly reduced, find and clean your chassis grounds.

Should take fifteen minutes to check everything out, and do it using equipment you already have.

 

[Rick Anderson]

Thanks 5-90 I forgot the grounds also. When I put my rebuilt 440 back in my '69 Charger, I forgot to hook up all the grounds to the motor/chassis, and the battery was in the trunk no less. I had only one tiny ground cable on the motor mount connected and couldn't figure out why the starter cranked so weak, until I saw the smoke from the that tiny ground that was glowing red hot.