6 volt batt.

L

Louis

Well-known member
I installed a new 6 volt batt. in my 31 a little over three years ago, The last few times I started it, It was very slow turning the eng. over, I do have a 6 volt alt. on the car, and I drive it once a week for aprox. 10-15 miles [day time only, no lights].
Is three year's about normal for a 6 volt batt.?....Thank,s
 
sound like something is actually drawing power from the batter, if you dont drive it, do you hook the batter to a maintainer??
 
Buy yourself a hydrometer.

All readings should be the same when the battery is fully charged, if not bin the battery.

Most battery's should give 2-3 years these days. I did have one last over 13 years in a little Fiat 0_0.

I have never dismantled and started changing parts on a transistor radio because it isn't working I always test the battery first.
 
I don't use a maintainer, But I always disc. with the cut off sw. at the end of the drive.
Up untill the past week, even in the winter it has always spun the motor normal and started right up.
I have never had a 6 volt before, But most of the 12 volt one's i've had would last at least 4-6 year's.
 
I don't think I'd condemn the battery until you check everything.. Something else could be wrong, even dirty connections.. If the battery and ground connections haven't been removed and cleaned in 3 years, you could start there and see what happens..
 
If it's still positive ground check the frame to ground strap connection and clean it. It may help.
 
I seem to get about 4 years useful life from original style 6v systems with cut outs rather than regulators or alternataors
 
I agree with Patrick. Check everything first and before checking the battery condition put it on a 3 to 6 amp charger for about 6 hours. I expect at least 6 years from either 6 or 12 volt car batteries. Uually less from the small lawn tractor batteries. My 49 Chevy truck got over 12 years from the 6 volt battery, and the one in my 28 Phaeton is one I picked up at the junk yard about 7 years ago for a couple bucks, and it's still going strong.

A good engine doesn't need to spin fast to start, but you obviously know that your's is spinning slower than it used to, so something isn't right.
 
I had this problem after the 4th or 5th time I drove my 36. ??? the starter cable was loose at the starter--must not have tightened it enough initially?

"Can't be anything I did!"
 
Here in TEXAS the hot weather usually does a Battery in after 3 to 4 years of use,depends on the battery it self,I always thought that when I buy a battery the expected life was listed and price usually goes up with longer life battery.I have a optima battery in my travel trailer(12 volt) that is still going strong after 7 years,but my 31 A has regular 6 volt system and usually makes it about 3 to 4 years.
 
Thanks for all the great advice, I put my batt. charger [6 volt] on and it showed fully charged, I cleaned both post on the batt. and cable ends, I removed the pos. grd. cable from the trans. and sanded it, It was not as tight as it should have been.
I don't know which was causing the problem, But all is well now :D.
 
I'm getting 4-5 years from a battery with a Gen and cut out a few thousand miles a year. You should be getting longer life with regulation.
 
I was having the same trouble you are having. I added a second ground strap from the flywheel housing to the frame and the problem went away.
Vic:)
 
Check the battery cables. Sometimes they develop corrosion where the cable goes into the post clamp and it's not visible.

Even the cheap offbrand 6 volts I usually get 5-6 years out of them.
 
I bought a 6 volt tractor battery for mine in 07 at Advanced Auto, Its still going strong. You may want to install a cutoff switch between Battery and starter. That would take care of a drain if you cannot find it.
 
By all means check the whole car over, but first check the battery.

1) If a hydrometer shows all cells are even and reading 1270 (fully charged) then check main connections, and starter motor. No need to rebuild the generator its working fine the Hydrometer said so.

2) If the Hydrometer shows all cells are even and reading low. Look for slipping belt or faulty generator/regulator/cutout. Or a current draw.

3) If the battery is stuffed it will have uneven specific gravity readings on the hydrometer irrespective of age. This means two cells showing charged and one showing flat then the battery is cactus. This shows that because two cells are charged then it must be..........charging......yes. One cell flat.....its not accepting a charge...........fault cell.

If you have 2 or three, put the battery on charge over night and recheck with the Hydrometer until all cells are charged.

By just cleaning and replacing things will not identify the problem. It may get it going but you wont know why.

If you would like to check the power circuit and earth circuit for voltage drop that's easy too. If people are interested sing out

This stuff is Auto Electrical 101 for 1st year apprentices.

If I checked a car or truck in any other order than this my boss would have flipped. If one of the young lads did this where I work now he would get his butt kicked all over the workshop. I wonder how a customer would feel if I said we rebuilt your starter generator, regulator, cleaned all the connections, then found you have a faulty battery, but its now fixed.

Labor $350
Battery $80


Regards Ross
 
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