skib Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 at a buddys house my 73 240z woudlnt start but fired right up with a jump start. i came home and put it on the charger over night and ran fine for a few days then yesterday it happened again. i got another jump and when i got home (about a 5 min drive) i shut it off and just for kicks tryed to start it again and nothing. iv hooked it up to the charger and set it on the "start" setting and tryed to start it and it just goes click click click and my Amp gauge goes waving all over the place (i have a -/+ 60 amp gauge). also when i try and start it all my lights dim, even my parking break light goes dimmer. i have a reletivly new alternator and a rebuilt gear reduction starter and a brand new batt. i havent had any trouble like this before so im not even sure where to start really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1 Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 It sounds like the battery is bad to me. A bad cable could also be a possibility. jt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. G. Olphart Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 at a buddys house my 73 240z woudlnt start but fired right up with a jump start. i came home and put it on the charger over night and ran fine for a few days then yesterday it happened again. i got another jump and when i got home (about a 5 min drive) i shut it off and just for kicks tryed to start it again and nothing. iv hooked it up to the charger and set it on the "start" setting and tryed to start it and it just goes click click click and my Amp gauge goes waving all over the place (i have a -/+ 60 amp gauge). also when i try and start it all my lights dim, even my parking break light goes dimmer. i have a reletivly new alternator and a rebuilt gear reduction starter and a brand new batt. i havent had any trouble like this before so im not even sure where to start really. For some reason, your alternator has quit charging. It might be a bad connection... Have you pulled the cables off the battery and shined things up? If the battery were bad, charging it overnight would not have put you back on the road for a few days. Jumping with another car and good cables gives the car a whole lot more juice than a typical charger in the 'start' position. If you want to start the car off a charger, let the battery charge for a while first- then put it in 'start' mode and give it a shot. Or just charge it overnight again. <> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skib Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 so heres an update, i got a new + cable for the batt. to make sure there was no problems getting power and moved the ground to one of the trans bolts hoping it would be a better ground, it was on the top starter bolt before. with the changes i get one click when i try and start and then i lose all power till i turn the key off and back on. it starts fine when its jumped from another car. ill check the alt tommorow and its been on the charger all night so far :/ cross my fingers and see what i can tinker with tommorow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8INtheZ Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Id replace the neg cable and bring your alt and battery down to an Autozone or equivalent. They should be able to test both your alt and your battery for free. If one or both are bad replace. A lot of times its one of the cables though, like has been mentioned above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skib Posted March 29, 2008 Author Share Posted March 29, 2008 update! the Z lives! i found corotion in my neg batt cable in the insalation and the wire end of the battry post connecter. i stipped a new lenth of wire and cleaned out the inside of the connecter where the wire goes and it starts wounderfully. thanks for the help guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 In the future you can check things with a Volt/OHM meter. Check voltage at the posts of the battery while you have a friend start the car. If it is a bad connection you will see that the battery voltage will stay steady when the probes are touching the actual posts. If you move the probes to the wires or clamps the voltage will drop if there is a bad connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skib Posted March 30, 2008 Author Share Posted March 30, 2008 thanks bjhines, if i dont have one hiding somewhere in my garage ill be sure to go pick one up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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