Replaced the battery.
Car cranked fine a couple of times, but once the voltage was way too low.
I measured the voltage from the alternator and it was super low.
So I shut off the car, double checked the connections and fired it back up.
Voltage seemed better, but when I went to check at the alternator, I smelled wiring burning.
I finally found some smoke coming off one the connections near the starter solenoid.
Eureka!
On my Vette the positive lead goes from the battery in two branches. One goes to the underhood fuse and power distribution center, the other goes to the starter and then to the alternator.
If something is shorted in the starter, it's not going to be able to charge!
There goes another $155 plus tax on a starter and exhaust gasket. I get some of it back from a core charge though!
The battery cables are in rough shape. Even if they aren't causing problems, they will soon enough.
The battery might be OK, but probably not.
The starter is sick and because it's daisy chained into the charging system, and that's where the smoke was, that's prolly the problem.
Update:
Yup, that's the problem!
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Car cranked fine a couple of times, but once the voltage was way too low.
I measured the voltage from the alternator and it was super low.
So I shut off the car, double checked the connections and fired it back up.
Voltage seemed better, but when I went to check at the alternator, I smelled wiring burning.
I finally found some smoke coming off one the connections near the starter solenoid.
Eureka!
On my Vette the positive lead goes from the battery in two branches. One goes to the underhood fuse and power distribution center, the other goes to the starter and then to the alternator.
If something is shorted in the starter, it's not going to be able to charge!
There goes another $155 plus tax on a starter and exhaust gasket. I get some of it back from a core charge though!
The battery cables are in rough shape. Even if they aren't causing problems, they will soon enough.
The battery might be OK, but probably not.
The starter is sick and because it's daisy chained into the charging system, and that's where the smoke was, that's prolly the problem.
Update:
Yup, that's the problem!
