Battery

[Mowgli25]

Well I've had a crazy time with my new rail. I was having trouble starting it and then it wouldn't start at all. I would turn the key and it wouldn't even kick on my starter. I jumped it and that seemed to work. Now this is my current problem. I got the battery charged and it is coming up as a good battery. When I put it into the rail it would even power the light on my tac and won't kick the starter on. I though it was bad so I got it tested again and its good. The only way I can get it to start is by jumping the good battery. I put my truck battery in the rail and everything works just fine. Can that battery be bad even though it is reading good? And what battery should it be replaced with? I don't even know if it's the right battery to begin with but it had been working fine

[68bugbaja]

Yes. A battery can be "good" and bad. It has a couple of amps to pass the test but not enough to do anything with. I would get a new one, some where around 650CCA.
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REMEMBER- Build a good engine from the the ground up and you will not need to add on extra junk to cover the mistakes.-John Muir
mellow 2276cc http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=530868&highlight=motor

[Mowgli25]

On my multi meter it was coming up at 12.6 and the battery I used had 12.2 and that one worked

[baja5]

It all depends on the type of battery tester used. If they are using the new modern internal impedence battery tester it can test good static but still be bad under a load. Are they actually putting a Load tester on the battery?
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[Dale M.]

Maybe Its not the battery..... How about starter and solenoid or "start" circuit wiring.... With everything hooked up (battery) jump a wire from the battery (side) terminal of solenoid to terminal 50 ( where wire for start switch goes), if solenoid engages and starter spins up motor you have start switch wiring issues....

Also make sure all battery and ground connections associated with start circuit are clean and no corrosion.... Also verify ground strap from chassis to trans-axle if your ground cable from battery does not actually terminate on trans-axle...

Also put volt meter on battery while trying to spin up starter, if meter goes below about 9 volts ( battery under load) you may still have bad battery even though it tested good... IF you do not get any voltage drop at all ( stays at 12 plus volts), you have solenoid or wiring/switch issues...

Dale
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Lives his life vicariously through his own self...
1970 "Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.

All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ...

[gfw1985]

Reading voltage is very little good when dealing with a battery. It needs to be load tested. I just spent three day's helping a guy online having been told battery was good. Finally convinced him to have it load tested and bingo, 30 CCA under load.

[Failproof]

Could be as simple as build up on the terminals of the battery. Try cleaning everything real good first?

[STOICH]

[Mowgli25]

I seems weird that it works fine with a different battery. Which makes it seem like it wouldn't be anything with the wires or starter or anything like that. Battery I'm thinking

[Dale M.]

IF battery "A" is a problem, and battery "B" is fine.... Think about it....

Dale
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Lives his life vicariously through his own self...
1970 "Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.

All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ...

[tdonaldson]

Idk if you need to go crazy with an expensive battery. I have a cheapy used one that tested bad somewhere. The label was for 6 or 7hundred CCA, but it only had 3 or 4hundred. Still turns my engine over fast even well below freezing. Stockish 1600.

Is every battery connection shiny clean?
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"If you had a beer can in your hand the beer would have stopped it, alcohol is a natural force of good that keeps you from getting hurt, unless you're city people...."

[pafree]

if you are using one of those cheap ($10) key switches from the auto parts store then i have been having trouble with the start feature on it. i still use the key switch for power but added a push button to start the car. take the wire off the start terminal on the back of the switch (make sure the car is in neutral) and touch it to the terminal on the switch that is hot/coming from the battery and see if it cranks.

if still nothing, change the spade connector on the wire that goes to the solenoid on the starter from the key switch.
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1972 vw hunting truggy

sand it, fill it, paint it, throw some mud on it and then baja it.

[pafree]

[Mowgli25]

well i figured it out. the battery terminals where clean and shinny but were not making a good conection. i replaced the whole thing and that worked out. the others ones looked fine but thats what happens when its exposed like that i guess

[Failproof]

Do the simple easy, cheap/free fixes first, then start throwing money at it! Clean/tight connections are a must, on EVERY connection! We get hundreds of batteries back every year that are 100% fine, but a poor connection somewhere spoiled the soup!