Battery selection...

Tillerman77

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2016
Messages
202
Reaction score
75
Location
Southern MN
If I hadn’t, I apologize. If I did, I’m happy to reiterate:
When I start the car up (doesn’t matter cold start or if I’ve been running it around town), it seems to struggle to turn over. Hard to describe in words, but I get a 3-stage “moan” then it
fires up. Kind of a “wuh-wuh-wuh..... bam”, turns over. But it’s such a low, pathetic struggle of a moan that drew my concern. So, the obvious places to look initially are the battery and the starter.
This is with the newly rebuilt engine - correct? If so, did it ever start differently since the rebuilt engine was installed?
 

ttocs

Post Whore
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
32,393
Reaction score
5,560
Location
Evansville Indiana
take a video of it. There could be a couple of things under the wuh wuh wuh bang area depending on how you pronounce it.
 
OP
OP
Daryl

Daryl

Well-Known Member
SN95 Supporter
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
2,817
Reaction score
1,299
Location
SoCal
This is with the newly rebuilt engine - correct? If so, did it ever start differently since the rebuilt engine was installed?
Tillerman,
No difference before or after the engine rebuild. Starts up same.
 
OP
OP
Daryl

Daryl

Well-Known Member
SN95 Supporter
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
2,817
Reaction score
1,299
Location
SoCal
Unfortunately, I think that’s the case. That being said though, wouldn’t that actually narrow down the culprits to either the battery or the starter?
 

Tillerman77

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2016
Messages
202
Reaction score
75
Location
Southern MN
Unfortunately, I think that’s the case. That being said though, wouldn’t that actually narrow down the culprits to either the battery or the starter?
It would seem so. Have you tried getting a jump from another vehicle to see if it changes the starting behavior? That might help you figure out if it is your battery or not.
 
OP
OP
Daryl

Daryl

Well-Known Member
SN95 Supporter
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
2,817
Reaction score
1,299
Location
SoCal
It would seem so. Have you tried getting a jump from another vehicle to see if it changes the starting behavior? That might help you figure out if it is your battery or not.
Tillerman,
No, I haven’t but what would it tell me? If it starts up real quickly, what does that indicate? And if it starts the same, what would that mean?

Thanks for the idea. I’ll let you know...
Ooh, it’s intermission in the Avs/VGK game. Going now...!

And I’m back! Start up was pretty much identical with and without the jumper cables
 
Last edited:

ttocs

Post Whore
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
32,393
Reaction score
5,560
Location
Evansville Indiana
so more current doesn't help it, that tells us your battery is ok. Could be the starter. If you don't have longtubes its not that hard to swap it out and find out but then if it ain't completely broke I don't want to get under the car myself.
 

Tillerman77

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2016
Messages
202
Reaction score
75
Location
Southern MN
so more current doesn't help it, that tells us your battery is ok. Could be the starter. If you don't have longtubes its not that hard to swap it out and find out but then if it ain't completely broke I don't want to get under the car myself.
+1
 
OP
OP
Daryl

Daryl

Well-Known Member
SN95 Supporter
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
2,817
Reaction score
1,299
Location
SoCal
Ok,I’ll jack her up and have a look see. I’m pretty sure I don’t have long tube headers.
 
OP
OP
Daryl

Daryl

Well-Known Member
SN95 Supporter
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
2,817
Reaction score
1,299
Location
SoCal
Well, sometimes ya gotta look at the most obvious, simple thing. Kinda like in the movie “Slingblade” when he figures out the lawnmower ain’t running because “it ain’t got no gas!”
In the case of my battery… I installed the battery wrap and while I was at it, wire brushed the snot out of the cable hook ups and wiped the battery pays clean of gunk and build up.

F’g thing fires right up now!
Result!!

Addendum, completely unrelated:
I completely wasted a newer Camaro asshole in town today. Felt goooooood! Lit it up off the green, burned through the intersection, got a little sideways… never saw him again ++++
 
Last edited:

ttocs

Post Whore
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
32,393
Reaction score
5,560
Location
Evansville Indiana
if you ever have the terminals hooked up and can move it just the slightest little bit it is not tight enough. When I was 17 I didn't put the terminal on tight enough and I could just BARELY wiggle it a little bit. I mean a couple of degrees either way was all it was but every 2-3 weeks I would have to pop the hood, wiggle the terminal enough till it had a semi-clean connection and gave enough juice to start it up.
 

Tillerman77

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2016
Messages
202
Reaction score
75
Location
Southern MN
Well, sometimes ya gotta look at the most obvious, simple thing. Kinda like in the movie “Slingblade” when he figures out the lawnmower ain’t running because “it ain’t got no gas!”
In the case of my battery… I installed the battery wrap and while I was at it, wire brushed the snot out of the cable hook ups and wiped the battery pays clean of gunk and build up.

F’g thing fires right up now!
Result!!
A fine example of Occam's razor! Congratulations!!
 
OP
OP
Daryl

Daryl

Well-Known Member
SN95 Supporter
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
2,817
Reaction score
1,299
Location
SoCal
Thanks for all your input, guys. As always, I really appreciate it! Have a great weekend!
 

Tillerman77

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2016
Messages
202
Reaction score
75
Location
Southern MN
Thanks for all your input, guys. As always, I really appreciate it! Have a great weekend!
Plan to go out for a drive in my 97 later today. The weather here has shifted from high 90's and very humid, to low 80s and less humid for a few days. Good driving weather IMO.
 
OP
OP
Daryl

Daryl

Well-Known Member
SN95 Supporter
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
2,817
Reaction score
1,299
Location
SoCal
**UPDATE**
FWIW, it’s 10 months on since I replaced the car battery with a MotorCraft battery and I’ve had NO ISSUES AT ALL. I did do the insulation wrap to help against the heat of the engine, but the combination is working and problem solved!
 

Tillerman77

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2016
Messages
202
Reaction score
75
Location
Southern MN
**UPDATE**
FWIW, it’s 10 months on since I replaced the car battery with a MotorCraft battery and I’ve had NO ISSUES AT ALL. I did do the insulation wrap to help against the heat of the engine, but the combination is working and problem solved!
Good to hear. I have had good luck with both Motorcraft and NAPA Premium batteries in my fleet over the years.
 
OP
OP
Daryl

Daryl

Well-Known Member
SN95 Supporter
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
2,817
Reaction score
1,299
Location
SoCal
Good to hear. I have had good luck with both Motorcraft and NAPA Premium batteries in my fleet over the years.
Ditto! I run NAPA in my truck and in my wife’s SUV. No issues; perform well.
 

ttocs

Post Whore
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
32,393
Reaction score
5,560
Location
Evansville Indiana
If I hadn’t, I apologize. If I did, I’m happy to reiterate:
When I start the car up (doesn’t matter cold start or if I’ve been running it around town), it seems to struggle to turn over. Hard to describe in words, but I get a 3-stage “moan” then it
fires up. Kind of a “wuh-wuh-wuh..... bam”, turns over. But it’s such a low, pathetic struggle of a moan that drew my concern. So, the obvious places to look initially are the battery and the starter.
do you have a battery charger that has a start function built in? If it does hook it up and see if just a couple of extra amps makes it turn faster. Like I said I have seen batteries test as good that were just on that point of going bad that it starts to have issues. If you don't have a charger like that just hook up some jumper cables and see if it does it still.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
77,440
Messages
1,502,160
Members
14,920
Latest member
marktuck99

Members online

Top