Two batteries dead within one month...HELP appreciated

[dkphotog]

I've got a '78 Spider (1800). Bought the car 6 months ago and it has ran really great for about 5 months. It was very well cared for and documented in a service binder. Recently the following issues have started manifesting:

- Carb has always been a little rough (JB welded at one time) plan to replace ASAP
- Recently a hose blew off the air filter and it smelled bad till I tightened back on
- Catalytic converter suffers from the carb needing replacement, runs hot

NOW on to the RECENT issue of the battery dying twice! Before Christmas, I came to a stop in traffic & the car died - no turn over. Dead battery. Jump started it/drove 45 min. home. Next day-DEAD again. Installed a new battery. Voila! Car started as usual after some coaxing & the long warm up before driving. It's been running rough because of the carb but starting after coaxing as per usual.

Drove 1,000 miles yesterday to Palm Springs - In the middle of the journey it started dying ALOT - would only stay running with constant gas to the system - SO it needed lots of restarts and running jump starts to complete the journey home. Here is what happened 100 miles before home:

- Car running 75 mph down freeway
- lights on, after market radio on
- Radio starts turning off and on randomly
- Stupid me...i then plugged my iphone into the car lighter
- head lights making weird bright flashes intermittently
- stop for gas and BATTERY DEAD
- jump start car and drove home without stopping & trying not to let off gas

Coast into driveway and battery DIED.

Been reading on forum for HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS today......learned a lot.....so i might be able to help a mechanic fix it. Any ideas?? Are my carb/fuel issues related to the battery, wiring, or alternator issue. After reading I have a list of things it could be but I thought if i told my story and describe the symptoms that somebody with more experience could shed some light.

FYI - Battery light indicator when key turned in ignition is VERY dim....compared to the oil light it is extremely dim. Took dash face plate off to check bulb and wiring for disconnects and every bulb i tried in there shines at the same dimness.

[RoyBatty]

Sounds like a charging problem.
I'm not that far away if you'd like some help troubleshooting and fixing the problem.
A weak electrical system will not provide adequate power to the ignition as the battery goes flat.
Send a pm if you'd like some help.

[dkphotog]

Sounds like a charging problem.
I'm not that far away if you'd like some help troubleshooting and fixing the problem.
A weak electrical system will not provide adequate power to the ignition as the battery goes flat.
Send a pm if you'd like some help.

that's cool - how far is your town? i just moved here from Texas. I'm still searching for a "fiat mechanic" or somebody old school enough to have worked on these. Any ideas? I'm not used to people offering help but I will say that everyone on here seems pretty helpful when they can be!!!

[RoyBatty]

I work in the Stockton and Sacramento area as an aircraft mechanic. The Fiat side of things started a little more than a year ago. I have just picked up a 1978 fixer upper that has an alternator we could use for testing. Funny you're from Texas....I'm going to San Antonio next week to see my youngest son graduate from USAF basic at Lackland.

[dkphotog]

I work in the Stockton and Sacramento area as an aircraft mechanic. The Fiat side of things started a little more than a year ago. I have just picked up a 1978 fixer upper that has an alternator we could use for testing. Funny you're from Texas....I'm going to San Antonio next week to see my youngest son graduate from USAF basic at Lackland.

Very cool - i feel silly if i take you up on it - that is far away!!! Stockton is close...

My man lives in Houston right now and had to go back today - he felt terrible leaving me with a dead battery but didn't have time to fix it. It's my daily driver - LOL LOL LOL.

Congrats to your son. Tomorrow I will PM you and we can chat.

I also welcome any other ideas on this - my gut feeling is wiring issues, grounds, or just a failing alternator!!! after over 6 hours of reading on the forums....lots of problems similar but too many to pinpoint mine!!! UGH

[kmead]

It actually sounds more like a ground issue.

I would start by looking at the ground strap from the engine to the chassis and then go back and look at the ground connection to the body back by the battery. You might consider adding a thicker ground strap from the engine mount or alternator mount to a bumper mount bolt.

I would also look at the hot side starting with the connection to the alternator and then the connection to the starter. If either of those are loose you can have similar problems.

If all of that seems fine I would start looking around at the fuse box.

Karl

[Fi8spider]

It actually sounds more like a ground issue.

I would start by looking at the ground strap from the engine to the chassis and then go back and look at the ground connection to the body back by the battery. You might consider adding a thicker ground strap from the engine mount or alternator mount to a bumper mount bolt.

I would also look at the hot side starting with the connection to the alternator and then the connection to the starter. If either of those are loose you can have similar problems.

If all of that seems fine I would start looking around at the fuse box.

Karl

Good advice Karl. Ground strap is easily overlooked in these situations, check not only connection but strap condition.

Simple things like; are the wires on the back of the alternator and starter connected up tight and in good cond. Is the alternator belt fitted well and working fine. Battery terminals are they clean and in good condition? Have the alternator checked to see if it's charging correctly like Roy mentioned. The ignition switch, they age, is it getting too hot and failing intermittently, a simple relay in line can sort that out without too much cost.

Good luck.

[swede]

I work in the Stockton and Sacramento area as an aircraft mechanic. The Fiat side of things started a little more than a year ago. I have just picked up a 1978 fixer upper that has an alternator we could use for testing. Funny you're from Texas....I'm going to San Antonio next week to see my youngest son graduate from USAF basic at Lackland.

Very cool - i feel silly if i take you up on it - that is far away!!! Stockton is close...

My man lives in Houston right now and had to go back today - he felt terrible leaving me with a dead battery but didn't have time to fix it. It's my daily driver - LOL LOL LOL.

Congrats to your son. Tomorrow I will PM you and we can chat.

I also welcome any other ideas on this - my gut feeling is wiring issues, grounds, or just a failing alternator!!! after over 6 hours of reading on the forums....lots of problems similar but too many to pinpoint mine!!! UGH

Quick alternator check:

Make sure you have a charged battery in the car, start it up and let it sit idling.

While idling just disconnect the negative cable from the battery, if the alternator doesn’t give enough charge the car will die directly. A good alternator gives enough power for the car to run without battery when idling.

If you do this test and the car continues to run just make sure to put the cable back quite quickly so the alternator don’t have to run without battery for too long (max. 10 sec).

This is how I check my alternator without any instruments.

[So Cal Mark]

disconnecting the battery cable while running is not the best way to test an alternator, use a voltmeter. Disconnecting and connecting battery cables can cause voltage spikes that are potentially damaging. It sounds like your alternator has some bad diodes, which will allow it to charge but at a reduced rate.

[swede]

disconnecting the battery cable while running is not the best way to test an alternator, use a voltmeter. Disconnecting and connecting battery cables can cause voltage spikes that are potentially damaging. It sounds like your alternator has some bad diodes, which will allow it to charge but at a reduced rate.

Mark,

I agree that it’s not the best way and that it can give you problems but I haven’t had any problems so far, maybe I just been lucky.

[majicwrench]

Mark is right as he so often is, DO NOT disconnect battery with engine running.
And while there are loads of great thoughts and guesses in the above, that is all they are. There are literally hundreds of things that could be wrong. The system needs to be tested by someone who understands it, the problem needs to be found and corrected. Even dinking with the wiring before you test it can create more issues.
Do you have a voltmeter??
Keith

[dkphotog]

Mark is right as he so often is, DO NOT disconnect battery with engine running.
And while there are loads of great thoughts and guesses in the above, that is all they are. There are literally hundreds of things that could be wrong. The system needs to be tested by someone who understands it, the problem needs to be found and corrected. Even dinking with the wiring before you test it can create more issues.
Do you have a voltmeter??
Keith

Honestly - no. I'm going to buy a battery charger & get it running so I can drop it off at a mechanic shop. I would never dare to even touch a battery at this point in my "mechanical" career - LOL. I am the one restoring the outside & making it look good and my husband is the one who helps with the way it runs. He is gone for 1 month for work - so bad timing!

the above ideas give me a good idea on what to have the mechanic check. that is mainly what I was looking for - so thanks!

[dkphotog]

Thanks everyone.

My main objective is to get a list of possibilities going so that I sound knowledgeable to the mechanic. I'm a woman so that makes matters worse in how I get treated and charged $. The above ideas and list of things is great & I'll be sure to add them to the possibilities.

[dkphotog]

Just bought the 95 amp alternator - hope that is the problem & not wiring.....I figured that the upgrade was pretty exciting anyways and I've been wanting to do it. YAY

[majicwrench]

If you have a qualified, professional mechanic, there really is no need to give him ideas, OR to sound like you know what you are talking about. I listen politely to people tell me about their cars and what their uncle Joe thinks is wrong, and sometimes I get a tidbit of useful info, but most the time not. It is not the custormer's responsibity to know how it works or how to fix it, it is mine.
Had my appendix out a few months ago, waited too long, but that is another story. But I sure didn't try to tell the doc what was wrong with me, that was his job. I just told him where it hurt