Dead Battery Again?!!! Any ideas?

30blutudor

30blutudor

Senior Member
So it happened again and of course it is always at a car show in front of a bunch of people instead of at home in the garage. Drove my car to the Iola car show on Wednesday with no problems. Again on Thursday without a hitch. It wasn't until Friday evening when I went to leave the show and head back to the campground that it struck again. Went to start the car and the battery was dead. So dead it would not even start with the hand crank. Had to round up some fellow show goers for a push start. Saturday morning and afternoon no problems. This is the second time this year I have had this problem.
I am running the stock 6 volt positive ground system with a generator equipped with one of Tom W's third brush regulators. I have what appears to be an original cutout. I also have an original popout switch and do not use a fuse. I am leaning towards the points in the cutout sticking occasionally or possibly the switch? Anyone have any ideas or a recommendation on which cutout is the best replacement available if I decide to try to eliminate that possibility?
 
If the cut out is sticking you should show a large discharge on the ammeter when you shut off the engine. Train yourself to look.

Charlie Stephens
 
I have been checking the brake light it seems to be staying off. The amp gauge looks to be staying near 0 when shut off, but I will keep an eye on it. How far discharged are we talking about here as my repro gauge doesn't quite return to zero and I have siliconed it together because I was sick of it falling apart. I really need to upgrade it when I get a chance.
 
Also check your dash light sometime they give you a pain in .... and they are a source for problems. In clear daylight they come of and on specially the repo one's and the light is not noticeable
 
Sounds like the cutout sticking, but I would have thought that Tom's voltage regulator replaced the cutout.

Steve
 
Several thots:
You didn't say what condition battery is in, as in how old. Mine just went south after seven years!
It's pretty easy to reach the battery post. When everything is supposed to be off, remove connection and retouch the post very briefly...for a hint of a drain spark. If a drain, you start with each/every electrical item..one at a time.
Your condition is another reason that I've installed MASTER cut off switch. NO drain; large/small when vehicle not operated and shut down. And, with master switch, you can still test and fix..at a more leisurely pace.
 
steve s said:
Sounds like the cutout sticking, but I would have thought that Tom's voltage regulator replaced the cutout.

Steve
Click to expand...

The EVR I make replaces the adjustable brush. The cutout stays in the charging circuit, as it's simply an "off-on" switch to keep battery current from flowing back into the generator when the generator output is less than battery voltage.

As mentioned, a bad brake light switch is a strong possiblilty. Also beware of someone messing with the car and turning the headlights on. It's happened a few times with my Phaeton, and one time the store anounced "whoever owns the antique car, your lights are on".

I assume you have checked the battery by trying the lights and horn, so you know for sure the battery is dead, rather than the starter or switch being at fault. If you have a fuse, just leave it out and connect an ammeter across the two terminals to check for draw.
 
Brake light, cut out, battery condition, are the things in that order I would check.

A poor battery can give you a good burst to start the car but if it is not driven long enough it will not charge to grt you started again.
 
30blutudor said:
I have been checking the brake light it seems to be staying off. The amp gauge looks to be staying near 0 when shut off, but I will keep an eye on it. How far discharged are we talking about here as my repro gauge doesn't quite return to zero and I have siliconed it together because I was sick of it falling apart. I really need to upgrade it when I get a chance.
Click to expand...
It will peg itself to discharge. ken ct
 
You say wed, thur ok, fri afternoon no good, saturday morning and afternoon no problem. What did you do between friday night and saturday. Sounds like something intermittant.........bad ground, ign switch. Why wouldn't it start hand cranking but would by push starting, same circuits. Batt doesn't get better by pushing vs hand cranking. I'd start looking at my grounds, as a starting point. JMO
Paul in CT
 
check all connections and also the brake switch.. Mine sticks in the 31 Tudor sometimes and I have caught myself walking around the car to make sure the brake lights are off.
 
Ever so often, a battery will have a bad cell or plate that shorts or grounds out from time to time. Like anything, It won't do it when you try to test it.
Pete
 
Peter brings up a good point. How old is the battery? Depending on how the battery has been treated, after about 5 years you can usually consider any further use as just plain good luck.
 
The battery is just three years old this month. I have checked all connections and they are clean and tight. As far as the push starting goes I am relying on what an old Model A guy told me. Since the battery is so dead after 6 or 8 hours of whatever is draining it there is not even a dim glow in the headlights. There will not be enough power to produce a spark. I was told by a gentleman the first time this happened(after hand cranking for a couple minutes) by pushing he car the generator produces enough power to start the car. Is this accurate? It seems to work because with a charged battery it starts easily by hand and when dead it will not fire. Once it does start it charges between 10 and 15 amps. I drove it for about 30-45 minutes then did not run it until the next morning and it fired right up. It did still charge higher than normal so I am assuming it was not fully charged. I am still leaning toward the cut out. Any suggestions on a quality replacement?
 
everyone gave you real good easy advice instead of just throwing parts at it....

1. after you have a good charge in your battery check your battery cells with a hydrometer. they should be equal or close to equal and at least 75% charge across the board.

2. make sure all battery cable connections are clean especially to the frame.

3. put a volt meter on the battery and make sure you get approx 6.75-8 volts while holding the engine speed around 1200 rpms. this will vary depending on what the regulator is sensing.


4. with your car turned off put on your headlights does the ammeter go negative? thats showing you that there is a draw. the same thing will happen if your cut out sticks and causes a draw. if your ammeter is not swinging properly and you cant trust it just take a simple 12 volt test light put the clip on a head nut and probe both sides of the cut out with the car off. you should only have power on one side. if both sides lites you have a draw from the cut out.

5. you can also check for a draw from any part of the car by taking the same simple test light and take either battery cable off the battery post. put the test light in line,, one side to the terminal you removed and the other to the battery post. if it lights you have a draw.

hope this helps you some
 
Battery 3years old six volt will last maybe 36 months especially if you don't drive it daily or put a battery maintainer on it when not in use, you will get more life out of the batt. That comes from the Interstate tech. Have batt checked first. as stated bad cell will draw down batt.
 
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