To test the condition of a starter or ground cable: Hook a voltmeter to each
end of the cable. Then crank the starter. While the starter is cranking check
the meter. If there is any significant reading on the meter, you have a voltage
drop
across your cable. This means your cable isn't carrying sufficient current to
operate
the starter properly. You have to use a little sense when doing this; if the
needle
swings backward, then switch your leads.
If you think you have a bad ground, you can hook one lead to the ground terminal
of the battery and the other lead to the case of the starter. Crank the starter
and
check the meter. If you see a significant potential difference, you have a bad
ground.
Another way to approach this test, measure the voltage at the battery with the
starter
cranking. If your battery is in good condition it should read around 9 Volts or
more.
Then hook your meter to you starter. One cable to the terminal, the other to
the
case.
You should have around 9 Volts there as well. If you have less, your cables are
suspect.
If when doing these tests you don't see much drop at the battery or the starter,
your
starter is suspect.
Diagnosing problems with the starter/battery is much easier and cheaper with a
meter
than by buying and replacing parts hoping for the best.
My Sprite once had a battery so far gone it wouldn't jump from another car.
Just
because it won't jump I wouldn't assume the problem is not the battery
Shawn
Scott Fisher wrote:
>
>
> I then spent $6 on a new cable at Pep Boys. Wish I'd done that first,
> I'd probably still have the original starter and battery and would have
> spent that $210 on something else...
>
>
> --Scott Fisher
> Sunnyvale, CA
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