The Ford Barn

Gold Digger · 04-26-2015, 01:38 AM

I'm starting to notice on one of my A's that I sometimes have to let off my starter after whirling engine to get it to start. Have had this problem years ago but have forgot what I done to correct it. The starter was rebuilt completely about 6000 mile back and whirls good. Engine was tuned up about 1500 miles back. Battery is grounded to transmission with good connections. Seems like it just started occurring over night.

Mike V. Florida · 04-26-2015, 01:45 AM

Bad battery will do exactly what you state. With no draw on the battery the voltage seems good but when the starter draws from the battery there is not enough to run the ignition. You let go of the starter, the voltage jumps up while the engine is still turning and it starts.

colin1928 · 04-26-2015, 02:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike V. Florida

Bad battery will do exactly what you state. With no draw on the battery the voltage seems good but when the starter draws from the battery there is not enough to run the ignition. You let go of the starter, the voltage jumps up while the engine is still turning and it starts.

Mike has it

Tom Wesenberg · 04-26-2015, 05:18 AM

Hold the coil wire 1/4" from a head nut while cranking the engine. Look for a hot blue spark. Also read the voltage at the coil while cranking. Connect your analog meter to ground + and the black coil primary wire -. I would expect about 5 volts at the coil while cranking. If the voltage reads OK, then the points may be dirty, or a condenser might be going bad. I had a similar problem a few years ago, and it was light corrosion on the contacts from setting during humid weather. I hand cranked it and it fired on the first pull, and was fine after that.

barkleydave · 04-26-2015, 07:29 AM

Buy an inexpensive (Harbor Cheap has them) Battery load pile tester.

I have so many different batteries on cars, boats, lawn mowers I have been fooled before with weak batteries.

Hook up to terminals turn the dial and it loads the battery and has a meter. Most of the time a bad battery will fail quickly under load and the voltage will drop fast!

It has fooled me a couple of times but mostly because I did not test properly.

Tom Wesenberg · 04-26-2015, 12:24 PM

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Before using a battery load tester or hydrometer, be sure to put the battery on a long slow charge. At least 4 to 6 hours on a 6 amp battery charger should work, or 10 hours on a 3 amp charger.

Gold Digger · 04-26-2015, 01:28 PM

Thanks everyone. I will do some testing but I almost know now it is the battery. I bought it back in 2011 and it was a cheap one at a farm supply. I have another battery I use for everything else that is 6 volts and it's an optima that has done real well.

johnbuckley · 04-26-2015, 02:22 PM

I've had a rogue starter that used so much juice there was almost insufficient for the coil, Took me a day to fathom it out. A proper rebuild of the starter cured it . Tom's post at #4 is the one that would have shown me the cause straightaway. I reckoned I had a good spark - I was just checking it by opening and closing the points manually rather than watching the spark when using the starter.

04-26-2015, 01:38 AM	#1
Gold Digger Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Arkansas & Alaska Posts: 645	Starter draw on ignition I'm starting to notice on one of my A's that I sometimes have to let off my starter after whirling engine to get it to start. Have had this problem years ago but have forgot what I done to correct it. The starter was rebuilt completely about 6000 mile back and whirls good. Engine was tuned up about 1500 miles back. Battery is grounded to transmission with good connections. Seems like it just started occurring over night.

04-26-2015, 01:45 AM	#2
Mike V. Florida Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: South Florida Posts: 14,054	Re: Starter draw on ignition Bad battery will do exactly what you state. With no draw on the battery the voltage seems good but when the starter draws from the battery there is not enough to run the ignition. You let go of the starter, the voltage jumps up while the engine is still turning and it starts. __________________ What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity - intellect and resources - to do some thing about them. - Henry Ford II

04-26-2015, 07:29 AM	#5
barkleydave Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Kentucky Posts: 502	Re: Starter draw on ignition Buy an inexpensive (Harbor Cheap has them) Battery load pile tester. I have so many different batteries on cars, boats, lawn mowers I have been fooled before with weak batteries. Hook up to terminals turn the dial and it loads the battery and has a meter. Most of the time a bad battery will fail quickly under load and the voltage will drop fast! It has fooled me a couple of times but mostly because I did not test properly.

04-26-2015, 12:24 PM	#6
Tom Wesenberg Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mpls, MN Posts: 27,582	Re: Starter draw on ignition Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Before using a battery load tester or hydrometer, be sure to put the battery on a long slow charge. At least 4 to 6 hours on a 6 amp battery charger should work, or 10 hours on a 3 amp charger.

04-26-2015, 01:28 PM	#7
Gold Digger Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Arkansas & Alaska Posts: 645	Re: Starter draw on ignition Thanks everyone. I will do some testing but I almost know now it is the battery. I bought it back in 2011 and it was a cheap one at a farm supply. I have another battery I use for everything else that is 6 volts and it's an optima that has done real well.

04-26-2015, 05:18 AM	#4
Tom Wesenberg Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mpls, MN Posts: 27,582	Re: Starter draw on ignition Hold the coil wire 1/4" from a head nut while cranking the engine. Look for a hot blue spark. Also read the voltage at the coil while cranking. Connect your analog meter to ground + and the black coil primary wire -. I would expect about 5 volts at the coil while cranking. If the voltage reads OK, then the points may be dirty, or a condenser might be going bad. I had a similar problem a few years ago, and it was light corrosion on the contacts from setting during humid weather. I hand cranked it and it fired on the first pull, and was fine after that.

04-26-2015, 02:22 PM	#8
johnbuckley Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,444	Re: Starter draw on ignition I've had a rogue starter that used so much juice there was almost insufficient for the coil, Took me a day to fathom it out. A proper rebuild of the starter cured it . Tom's post at #4 is the one that would have shown me the cause straightaway. I reckoned I had a good spark - I was just checking it by opening and closing the points manually rather than watching the spark when using the starter.