81 CJ 258 starting problem

Here's the story, jeep hasn't ran for couple months, went to start it the other day to move it out of garage, it was dead, jumped it, moved it out of garage, tried starting again, just click click, click, I figured battery was gone as this is the same one I left lights on for a week last year, everyone said wouldn't come back, but it did, been fine for the year. I was all ready to go get new battery and figured I would put the meter on it to make sure, it was 11.96, that sounds like a fully charged bat. to me, so I replaced the solinoid, thinking that was it. On first start up, when I turned the key to on there was a buzzing for about 10 seconds, about as long as it took me to put gas to floor twice to choke it, anyway started fine, drove it up and down road, and parked in driveway, shut it off and restarted it fine. Today when I went to start it, it went click, click, click, then started, but started didn't stop starting, I turned the key to off, still running and starter still starting, daughter yells turn it off, I hold up key to her!!, so I stick it back in and turn it to start again and it stops the starter, so I move the jeep to where I wanted it, start it 2 times fine, so what the hell was that???????

Reply to
Greg
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That can happen with a bad connection arc raising the temp or pulling too many amps. The bad connection causes too many amps to go through the cable which can arc the solenoid plate inside.

How is the cable to the starter and the connection on the starter? What about the starter's brushes?

If I remember right, a low battery makes the above effect happen easier.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06
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Reply to
Mike Romain

I take it you've never heard of ohm's law. Higher resistance doesn't increase current flow.

Reply to
bllsht

At some time in your battery because disconnect while the engine was running and popped the alternator diode in that instant. The battery is now discharging into that trigger wire powering your ignition switch from the off side. On cars with an idiot light, that light will be burning while the ignition switch is off, and the battery is being discharged. God Bless America, Bill 0|||||||0 mailto: snipped-for-privacy@aol.com

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Reply to
L.W. (Bill) Hughes III

Unless you've designed switches, you probably don't know much about closure rate and contact pressure to minimize arc-over, either. Slow or soft closure allows momentary arcing which is a great way to weld contacts. Hard closure also helps overcome the oxidation layer that forms almost instantly on most pure metals like the copper used in those starter relays. All that is an effect of high resistance restricting the current through the solenoid coil which gives you a weak closure.

Reply to
Will Honea

But a low amperage will melt a starter and often the cables and solenoid going it, usually not allowing us to shut off the starting motor until the battery is completely dead. God Bless America, Bill 0|||||||0 mailto: snipped-for-privacy@aol.com

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Reply to
L.W. (Bill) Hughes III

I read the rest of the replies, mostly argueing about resistence, anyway Mike I cleaned all connections on bat. solinoid, and alt. only one I didn't clean was one down at starter, and starter and bat cables are about a year old. Bill mentioned at some point bat. was disconnected while running, that didn't happen, but when I thought the bat. was dead the other day I used my battery charger which has a setting for 70 amps to start a vehicle, which I used and it arced when disconncting it. I replaced everything on engine when I put a rebuilt in 1 1/2 years ago, all but alt. Am I now ready for that?

Reply to
Greg

First start with a known good battery. A fully charged battery should read around 12.65 volts. The voltage reading you got when ckecking your battery,

11.96, indicates a battery that is 80% DISCHARGED.
Reply to
Mike

If the connection down at the starter is bad enough to cause that, then the cable should get hot. I would try it a few times to see.

Other than that, the low battery might be the only issue. When the starter draws on the low battery arcs can seem to happen for whatever reason..... ;-)

Mike

Greg wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Never designed a switch, but have replaced many welded relays caused by low current flow.

Reply to
bllsht

Mike, I agree with these numbers.

Greg, You should have over 12 volts and 12.65 sounds about right with everything off. At idle you should have over 13 volts, about 13.8 at fast idle if memory serves. Any more than that means your alternator is working hard to charge the battery. Less than 12.5 volts at fast idle indicates the alternator is not charging the battery. Do you have a guage in the dash or an idiot light?

Merrill

Reply to
merrill

Actually about 11.88 is 100% discharged so you need to redo your math. Like I said before, a voltage reading of 11.96 indicates an 80% discharged battery.

Reply to
Mike

STATE-OF-CHARGE TEST at about a quarter down the page of:

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God Bless America, Bill 0|||||||0mailto: snipped-for-privacy@aol.com
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Reply to
L.W. (Bill) Hughes III

After reading Bills page, me thinks I need a new battery.

Reply to
Greg

Reply to
L.W. (Bill) Hughes III

Mike proclaimed:

Open circuit voltage of 11.7 is 0% With a load and/or at lower temperature, the voltage is much less.

12.0 open circuit is a 25% charge but under load expect something more like 8-9 volts at zero degrees F, with the complication that a battery with less than 9-10 volts open circuit will tend to charge very slowly at first.
Reply to
Lon

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