Here in the great white north, where it's cold more than hot, batteries get weak when cold. Well that's true everywhere, but it is just more of an everyday occurence here. If you know it's going to be really cold, especially if it's going to be sitting all weekend or whatever, you throw the charger on it. We don't get enough heat to cook batteries. But my 1989 Pontiac 6000 wagon has been doing the complete opposite the last couple days. Nothing out of the ordinary for temps, mornings about 15F, daytime highs about 50F. The last few days it has started just fine in the cold morning after sitting all night with ice on the windows, or even all weekend. Any other day, that's the time it WON'T start if it's not going to start, but it's been starting fine all winter. I stopped at the gas station about 1/4 mile from work to get a drink, then came back out a few minutes later and it's so weakened it will barely crank. So I walked to work, and came back on break time like a half hour later and it started right up. I drove it to work, and 10 hours later sitting in the cold wind it still started right up. The volts gauge shows it's charging normally. I checked and the connections are tight. I checked the water level in all 6 battery cells and it is fine. When it runs it runs just great, no trouble codes or anything. It doesn't run too hot, and when driving it's still mostly highway in sub-freezing temps, no sitting in traffic. Any ideas?
Could be initial warning signs of starter solenoid failure. Corroded cable connections could do this, too. When you checked the cable connections did you clean the mating surfaces or just snug them up? And if those battery cables are still the originals, they're on borrowed time...
X2 Old Pontiacs i.e 60's and 70's sometimes have a hot start issue. The big three are the wires, the solenoid and the starter. The battery does have something to do with it as if it is weak it will not start, but you have a hot start issue. You can change the cables and sand the rust off of the metal and add more grounds, but as JMT455 says, it is just a matter of time. I recommend Rock Auto, Super cheap and most times they have a discount code that you can add in the "How did you hear about us" line at checkout. A link to promo codes is here. HTH, Dave http://forums.performanceyears.com/forums/showthread.php?t=593205
X3.....I know it's dumb, but....also check to see that the batt cables are tight. I had that problem once...did what your car is doing, and I overlooked the obvious.
To clarify, it has done this for the last 2 days. Both days it was too weak to start after stopping at the gas station, till I came back later and it started right up both days. Thankfully they know me and don't mind my car being there for a little while. Alternator appears to be working fine. No hiccups in the volts gauge. And I don't think I'd make 26 miles to work and 26 miles back for the last few days with no recharge. And if the battery wasn't charging, I'd think when it's dead it should be dead and stay dead. I'll check the charge voltage and see what it says. I just put channellocks on the cable bolts and checked them to make sure they were good and tight. They don't look dirty but I can check again. These are the sidepost style, so they are pretty much sealed from the elements, at least on the battery end. I've also had them off from time to time and they always looked good. I did have that problem once many years ago when I was at the gas station and it wouldn't start, and the cables had worked loose so tightening them fixed it. Last time I had the starter out was in 2005 when I got the car, I dropped in another engine to replace the one with the bad head gasket. I probably should pull the starter out and clean the commutator and stuff. Had to do that with another car last year, but that one was where you had to tap it with a pipe to unstick the starter or brushes every time it would get above freezing then refreeze. Maybe the solenoid is going bad, it certainly could be. It always clicks and tries to turn over, but something is just too weak till it cools off. But I think on these cars the starter voltage goes through the solenoid so it still could be a bad solenoid. I certainly don't want it crapping out when I am 165 miles downstate in the middle of the night on a weekend. I've never had cables go loose on a starter, but I can check that too. There's a first time for everything. When I get home tonight it will probably not start back up since it will be warm. If it's not raining I'll check things with a multitester and see what I get. Hopefully I won't be driving it too much more this season, then I can park it for summer. Going by past experience, we can expect snowy messy roads anytime till about the 2nd week of May.
SOunds like the solenoid is going.. You could add the FORD solenoid. It puts the solenoid on say the firewall. Then you run 2 GA wire to the starter and just a tiny wire to the solenoid. Has helped a lot of guys in the past.
Our old Trooper was doing a "no start" deal until you hit the key several times(and held your mouth just right). I finally installed a new hot lead to the starter(one I had bought for it a couple yrs ago and never got around to putting on). Problem solved! Tight connections! Use a new lock washer at the solenoid end.
Tedy, how old are those cables? So connections are tight....how bout the non battery ends? Oops! I just noticed...Tedy was commenting on OP, haha. Hoser!
Thanks for the tips everyone. It's been nonstop rain and snow the last 3 days and I haven't had a chance to look at it much. Except that the charge voltage is 14.3 and the battery was about 13.6 after shutting the car off. And the voltage was the same when I checked from the starter hot post to the battery ground, and from the battery hot post to the starter ground. Hopefully this weekend I can look at it more.
Have the battery load tested. You might have a peice of junk floating around in your battery that causes one of the cells to short out. Because of the nature of this problem everything can look fine until you try to start. This could also be the sign of a warped plate in the battery (again go have it load tested). This will totally rule out the battery.
