Date:         Sun, 12 Jun 2005 21:09:29 -0700
Reply-To:     John Bange <jbange@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Bange <jbange@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: stranded... '84 won't start (after exhuast work??)
Comments: To: Wesley Alden Pegden <wes@cs.uchicago.edu>
In-Reply-To:  <20050613024746.GA17374@fast-mail.cs.uchicago.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

You need a new battery. The alternator needs the battery to create the
magnetic field it uses to generate electricity. With a wheezy battery
your voltage will be low, so you'll get low-reading gauges and a poor-
to non-running engine. A really crapped-out battery can also act as a
"lowest common denominator", dragging the voltage down even when
jumpered to another running vehicle.


> A battery that I've had a bad history with wen't dead on me---no surpise there.  The alternator is good, I'm pretty sure---it's new, and last time this battery wen't dead, I tested it, and it checked out.  I think the battery is a dud.  (probably from sitting around for a couple of months)
...
> Then, of course, it won't start, since my battery is dead, but it won't take a jump either---I tried for a long time a number of different times, and the starter motor was turning over quite quickly.  I waited 30 minutes (for a tow truck) and tried again... no luck.