>I have an electrical problem. After running well and uneventfully for a
>couple of weeks my 12V '54 failed to start an hour after parking it. I
have
>the push button starter and have replaced the switch with the side terminal
>variety. I am getting no noise from the starter. The battery is, and
has
>remained, fully charged. There is power running to the starter switch. I
>checked the main grounds (and they are clean). I am sorry to post such a
>neophyte concern, but I have a lot to learn.
>
>Thanks, Don
Hi Don. It's frustrating, isn't it? My 54 did this a lot until I switched
to 12v (I know yours already is 12v) and put in a fresh harness.
I guess I'd try to approach the problem analytically. What are the possible
problems which could cause these symptoms? As far as I know, there are
four. First, you could have a battery that will not take a charge. Second,
you could have a charging system that does not function. Third, the power
could be lost between the charging system and the battery. Fourth, the
starting system could be failing to function.
Your information allows us to eliminate the first three courses of inquiry.
I just wanted to mention before going on, that it is worth questioning the
assumptions you make if you don't make progress in the remaining direction.
Batteries can look charged even when they have a bad cell or two. Then they
behave a lot like what you describe.
But assuming all the info to be correct, that leaves the starter system,
consisting in your case of the key switch, the starter switch, the starter,
the battery and the wires in between.
The key switch is not the problem, since the truck would at least crank even
if the key were bad. You say power is getting to the starter switch so we
can assume that the battery and the wires are not the problem. I had a lot
of trouble with my starter switch. The high current running through it was
making arcs and eventually welded up a bridge of metal that shorted it out.
While we know that is not happening to yours because the battery remains
charged, arcing inside the switch may have slowly eroded the metal contact
so that no connection is being made. You should remove the switch
(disconnect the battery line and two small bolts on wither side of the
switch and inspect the insides for oxidation and arcing. Push the button to
check whether the contact is hitting the receiver, and see how it encounters
the side switch. Even after I fixed the main problem in mine, I found a
slow short through the side switch.
If the switch is working fine, then the problem seems to be the starter.
Remove it and have it tested. If that doesn't work, go back and begin the
analysis with no assumptions.
Regards,
Grant S.
54 3100 (mostly all there)
54 3100 (mostly not there)
55 1st 3100 (mostly rust)
Los Angeles, CA
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