Need help with 67 battery

[Chuck M.]

Hi everyone, My dad and I were planning on attending the Pitt. NCRS chapter event this weekend. We went to start the car today (5/21) and it did not start. The battery is no longer holding a charge. The only way that we can get it to start is by charging the battery for 5 min with a charger. We checked all of the cells and they are full. My questions are why would the battery all of a sudden not keep a charge. And my other question who do I call and how do I go about getting a new, correct 1967 battery. Thank you for insight and help.

Chuck # 30460

[Chuck G.]

Re: Need help with 67 battery

Hi Chuck; I've had batteries go bad as you have described. They work one day and are "shot" the next. Could have shorted out a cell. Anyhow, I've had good luck with repro batteries from New Castle Battery Co. in New Castle, Pa. New Castle is near Mars, which, I believe, is the site of the meet. I've also used batteries from Dave Lane in Hudson Ohio. I've always bought their batteries at Carlisle. Hope this helps. Chuck

[Chuck G.]

Re: Need help with 67 battery

Hi Chuck; I've had batteries go bad as you have described. They work one day and are "shot" the next. Could have shorted out a cell. Anyhow, I've had good luck with repro batteries from New Castle Battery Co. in New Castle, Pa. New Castle is near Mars, which, I believe, is the site of the meet. I've also used batteries from Dave Lane in Hudson Ohio. I've always bought their batteries at Carlisle. Hope this helps. Chuck

[Carl R.]

Re: Need help with 67 battery

A word of caution here Mr. McGettrick - it is possible to have sudden spontaneous battery failure - but this is rare. Would reccomend removing, charging, and having a local shop perform a current load test before assuming intrinsic battery fault. If you are not thorough in your diagnostic algorithm you may end up replacing with an expensive R-59 reproduction only to have it subsequently fail.

(Unfortunately, on these thirty-year-old relics it is far more common for the etiology to be circuit/switch failure)

Good luck!

(email if you need specific advice - have 1967 car also)

Carl

crose@adclinic.com

[Carl R.]

Re: Need help with 67 battery

A word of caution here Mr. McGettrick - it is possible to have sudden spontaneous battery failure - but this is rare. Would reccomend removing, charging, and having a local shop perform a current load test before assuming intrinsic battery fault. If you are not thorough in your diagnostic algorithm you may end up replacing with an expensive R-59 reproduction only to have it subsequently fail.

(Unfortunately, on these thirty-year-old relics it is far more common for the etiology to be circuit/switch failure)

Good luck!

(email if you need specific advice - have 1967 car also)

Carl

crose@adclinic.com

[Alex Gilmour]

Re: Need help with 67 battery

This is almost the standard out here in Arizona, where the heat destroys batteries. Usually occur just as you say, working one day, the next day, nothing. We replace our batteries about every 2 years on average out here. If the car starts when you recharge, I would check the voltage to the battery when the car is running and if that checks out, replace the battery.

HTH, Alex Gilmour

'66 A/C Coupe

[Alex Gilmour]

Re: Need help with 67 battery

This is almost the standard out here in Arizona, where the heat destroys batteries. Usually occur just as you say, working one day, the next day, nothing. We replace our batteries about every 2 years on average out here. If the car starts when you recharge, I would check the voltage to the battery when the car is running and if that checks out, replace the battery.

HTH, Alex Gilmour

'66 A/C Coupe

[Jack H.]

Re: Need help with 67 battery

EXCELLENT advice! Nominal battery holds 2.2V/cell. With six cells and a fully charged battery your voltmeter should read 13.2V with the engine shut down/ignition off. Lower if battery isn't fully charged and/or holding its charge.

Fire the motor and re-read. If charging system is doing it's thing, voltage across battery should climb (14.5-16 V range depending on what the voltage regulator sees and instructs the alternator to do)....

[Jack H.]

Re: Need help with 67 battery

EXCELLENT advice! Nominal battery holds 2.2V/cell. With six cells and a fully charged battery your voltmeter should read 13.2V with the engine shut down/ignition off. Lower if battery isn't fully charged and/or holding its charge.

Fire the motor and re-read. If charging system is doing it's thing, voltage across battery should climb (14.5-16 V range depending on what the voltage regulator sees and instructs the alternator to do)....