r bonilla wrote:
>
> my 79' spit has been acting up lately....i first thought my generator must
> be going
> out, as occasionally the car would act as if there was a low or dead
> battery. a re-charge
> for aprox 10min seemed to fix the problem and the car started right up
> (although i did not
> get the expected glowing red light indicating charging going on). this has
> now happened
> 5 times or so in the last 12 mos. i had the generator checked and rebuilt,
> so i don't think
> that is the problem. the starter "hot" lead post seems to be weak. you can
> move it side to side
> a little. the battery has not been changed for 2-3 years.
> so, today i go to start in the am, engine turns but does not catch w/in the
> first 3-6 sec of turning
> over...battery seems to have little juice...i re-charge for 10min and she
> starts right up. no red
> charging light. i drive for aprox 45min w/no problems. i then park for
> about 5min and try to re-start
> ...low power, not enough to start. i wait and try a few times...finally it
> turns enough to catch and
> we drive home....no red light, no problems. the only other interesting
> thing i noticed is the
> heat build-up seemed to be extreme while trying to start. at one point, i
> notices smoke seeping out through the
> vents on the hood, and quickly popped the bonnet and felt the starter,
> generator and wires. the
> terminals at the solenoid (sp) and the terminal at the starter (black wire,
> somewhat loose) were
> too hot to touch....so, long story...short question.....what should i
> replace first. the battery or
> starter???
>
> thanx for any and all advice....richard/colorado.....
Richard,
try removing and cleaning all of your connections for the alt., bat. and
starter and re-attach. See if this helps. If it doesn't, have battery
ck'd for a shorted cell or cells. I just replaced the battery in my van
that was less than a year old because of a dead short in it. Your
excessive heat build up on your wire could probably be a loose
connection and it might be solved by just retightening them. JMO
Larry Zink
1964 Spitfire4
Houston,Texas
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