Itinerant Air-Cooled

Two issues here with starting.
1. Last fall it would start but only with a little help from starter fluid. If it was started again not so long after that there was not a problem. But after a few days it would just crank and crank until I gave it a shot of starter fluid or it would eventually start but I feared killing the battery.

2. Now for the first start of the year it just won't even crank. I turn the key and it just goes tunk! then the nice red lights on the dash start to dim and subsequent tries quickly drain the battery. I get about two to three tries before there is no more tunking. I thought battery was going bad so I took it in this weekend and the auto store guys hooked it up to a little tester and they said it was a little low but should be good. It's a 2008 Exide. It was suggested to me that I check wires and do a trickle charge. I have it hooked up right now to a charger and would like to test the knowledge of the IAC folks to see what I should be looking at next. I am thinking starter which I had rebuilt about 15 years ago or so but my knowledge of electrical is slim.....
Thanks!

upnorthman wrote:Two issues here with starting.
1. Last fall it would start but only with a little help from starter fluid. If it was started again not so long after that there was not a problem. But after a few days it would just crank and crank until I gave it a shot of starter fluid or it would eventually start but I feared killing the battery.

2. Now for the first start of the year it just won't even crank. I turn the key and it just goes tunk! then the nice red lights on the dash start to dim and subsequent tries quickly drain the battery. I get about two to three tries before there is no more tunking. I thought battery was going bad so I took it in this weekend and the auto store guys hooked it up to a little tester and they said it was a little low but should be good. It's a 2008 Exide. It was suggested to me that I check wires and do a trickle charge. I have it hooked up right now to a charger and would like to test the knowledge of the IAC folks to see what I should be looking at next. I am thinking starter which I had rebuilt about 15 years ago or so but my knowledge of electrical is slim.....
Thanks!

We can't tell you what is wrong. We can offer suggestions of where to look.
You have to look at the cables yourself. You have to clean battery and starter terminals and both the battery and the transaxle ground straps yourself. See if the headlamps are bright with ignition only on. These things must be done before we can suggest a thing. Otherwise, we would be just throwing ideas like dandelion seeds.
Colin

Colin,
Thanks for the push.. I did as you said and that seemed to do the trick. I don't know which one it was but the ground strap surfaces were pretty bad. I put a new one on while I was down there. I will give it a couple days and see how it starts. Lots of crumbs in my eyes today it was great.
David

upnorthman wrote:Colin,
Thanks for the push.. I did as you said and that seemed to do the trick. I don't know which one it was but the ground strap surfaces were pretty bad. I put a new one on while I was down there. I will give it a couple days and see how it starts. Lots of crumbs in my eyes today it was great.
David

Push? You ain't SEEN no push yet . . .

OK, back again... There is still a cold start issue. Starter fluid not always needed but often many, many, many cranks before gas gets to where it needs to be. This is when engine is cold. Where do I start?

Suggestion:

Buy new battery cables (to starter and to ground )and also a new chassis ground strap. $25 well spent. Treat yourself.

Don't bet the farm on a 7 year old battery being as good as it once was.

One of the best batteries on the market today is Optima. They do cost a bit more than the conventional battery but the longer life and no maintenance makes the extra few bucks well worth it. I bought my yellow top Optima in 2008 for my bug and it's as strong today as when I first bought it. Ainokea

I've been eying one of those. The battery is officially dead so yeah I'll pick one up maybe this week. Wife is not happy. I have a new battery cable, however, the cable I got is missing an extra cord that my existing one has. It's finally warm enough so I can do some cord chasing..... It's on my list for this weekend, we shal see.
New ground strap is on btw.

upnorthman wrote:I've been eying one of those. The battery is officially dead so yeah I'll pick one up maybe this week. Wife is not happy. I have a new battery cable, however, the cable I got is missing an extra cord that my existing one has. It's finally warm enough so I can do some cord chasing..... It's on my list for this weekend, we shal see.
New ground strap is on btw.

Do a Google search on customer reviews of the latest Optima batteries. Apparently, they have gone to hell in just the past three years or so.
I have an eight year-old Optima in the BobD that is fine so far.
Colin