From: Bruce C. Beattie (bruce@EECS.Berkeley.EDU)
Date: Wed Apr 19 2006 - 11:21:34 PDT
Hi Brian,
First thing I would do is go over all the ground connections. Loosen
them up, wire brush the contact surface and retorque them. Don't forget
the ground that attaches the frame to the engine.
Same thing for the positive leads as well. Including the posts as
Dan already recomended. Don't forget the actual
connection to the starter.
If there is a loose or dirty connection anywhere in the circuit
between the battery and the starter, it may show a good voltage,
but the minute you start pushing starter current through it it will act
like a giant resistor.
If after you have done that and no go, do as Dan says and get the
batteries load tested.
If they are ok, then the next thing to try is the solenoid on top of the
starter. Pretty easy to dissassemble and
examine. You will find a large contact in there. If it is all pitted and
obviously the problem, you can do something
like turn it over or around to get a new surface. I don't remember
exactly what it was, but it should be obvious
when you look at it.
Remember to torque the bolts properly when you put the starter back and
don't forget the front bracket!
Since it is attempting to start, I don't think the little relay
under the dash is the culprit, but you can always
check it if all else fails. Just pry up the tabs once you have it off,
and you can remove the cover. If the contacts
are fried, you can easily see it. But I dought if this is the problem.
Good luck, and remember to report back to the list.
Bruce MVPA 23824
Brian Placzankis wrote:
>Hello all,
>
>The darnedest thing happened. My M1008 has been running great for well over a year since I refurbed my alternators. One of my 6TLs that had been marginal "recovered" and has even managed to restore the healthy "green eye" My other 6TL had always been fine since getting the truck.
>
>On Sunday, I had to go into work to get some papers for a trip. I did my business and left the truck started normal. Next I went to WalMart for some leather product in the craft section. I went to the parking lot to leave and the truck started normal. At no time leading up to the failure did the starter sound weak, nor were the voltages low on the voltmeter. Next I went to the filling station where I topped it off with diesel. Went I went to start the truck, the starter would try but would barely just budge the engine. The voltage was completely cut by half on the voltmeter. I tried a jump on the perennially weaker of the 2 batteries and it made no difference. Next I tried a jump on the "better" one and again it would slowly move the engine but it would not turn over. It was like what you see when someone cranks a battery way down to its endpoint only no cranking had ever taken place. My wife came out and I attempted jumps again. First the bad battery - no luck. Then I tried the good battery and this time it fired right up no slowness or anything. The running voltage was also right where it belonged, way up in the green and just shy of the red. This was good because I was able to get the truck home. When I parked it on my driveway, I shut it down and then tried to start it without a jump - no luck once.
>
>Here is the strange part, the green eyes on the battery both look green still yet I am getting symptoms of discharged batteries. Can they mimic being healthy while being all the while dead or near dead. I have no idea how old these batteries are, I have had the truck for 2.5 years with these batteries but there is no telling how old they already were when I got them.
>
>I connect a charger to each of them in an attempt to assess their condition. The weaker would charge at 4A with the charger set to the 6A setting and would slowly drop over the course of a few minutes to about 2A on the charger built in gauge. The "strong" battery would not take any charge, it was right at 0A on the guage. This was also the battery that the jump did work on the one time.
>
>I had to go on travel for a couple of days and this morning I decided to try again this morning with a jump. Since the engine was now cold, the glowplugs came into play. The voltage drops from halfway down (in the low yellow I think) to zero with the glowplugs energized. The best I could do was a very slow turn of the engine with a jump. My cables (cheap thin ones) may not be up to it as they were quite warm after trying.
>
>Could it be another problem? Could it be the infamous starter relay? The starter itself? The voltmeter reads a massive voltage dropoff so I think that it is the batteries though they sure still look green through the indicator eye. Does anyone have any other good diagnostic things to try? These batteries started on all of the coldest days of winter with no problems. Now that it gets warm...nothing. Hmmmm... My own guess is that my better battery has taken a hike. I woul definitely like to confirm this before dropping the $ for a new one(s).
>
>Will anyone be selling 6T batteries at Aberdeen this year?
>
>thanks,
>
>Brian Placzankis
>1985 M1008 CUCV
>
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