Advice Needed-Urgent!

[1_mad_daddy]

Hello all,
I am writing this for my very very fustrated husband. He has a 1989 Dodge Caravan that is being quite tempermental right now. He has replaced the starter, alternatior, fuse relays, timing belt, and has had the battery checked and is working fine. The problem is that this van will only start when jump started. It will run continually for over an hour with no problems on stoping and going, but then you turn off the engine, and there is once again nothing, notta, no go. As soon as you hook the jumper cables back up presto immediate engine start.
Any assistance anyone can offer on this will be greatly appreciated as I am disabled and this is his only means of getting back and forth to work.
Thank You
1_mad_daddy's wife

[waltham41]

My first thought would be to check all of the main wires going from the battery to the starter and from the battery to ground and the connections themselves on both ends. Could be a bad cable or a connection with corrision that is not wanting to pass voltage through easily.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

[1_mad_daddy]

Waltham,
Thanks for they reply. I asked him about checking all that you mentioned and he has done that as well and everything that you mentioned is ok. He has a snap-on tester that he used and all of that checked out fine. Any other thoughts?
Thanks
1_mad_daddy's wife

Originally Posted by waltham41

My first thought would be to check all of the main wires going from the battery to the starter and from the battery to ground and the connections themselves on both ends. Could be a bad cable or a connection with corrision that is not wanting to pass voltage through easily.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

[waltham41]

Considering all of the other parts that have been replaced, and if hubby is sure wires are in good shape, I would have to look at that battery again.

If the van refused to start at all it would point at a lot of things, but the fact that it will start and run once jumped makes me think your problem is a voltage issue of some sort. Borrow a known good battery from another vehicle and put it in and see what happens.

[vipergg]

Originally Posted by 1_mad_daddy

Hello all,
I am writing this for my very very fustrated husband. He has a 1989 Dodge Caravan that is being quite tempermental right now. He has replaced the starter, alternatior, fuse relays, timing belt, and has had the battery checked and is working fine. The problem is that this van will only start when jump started. It will run continually for over an hour with no problems on stoping and going, but then you turn off the engine, and there is once again nothing, notta, no go. As soon as you hook the jumper cables back up presto immediate engine start.
Any assistance anyone can offer on this will be greatly appreciated as I am disabled and this is his only means of getting back and forth to work.
Thank You
1_mad_daddy's wife

As a first step try cleaning the connectors that attach to the battery . Take a toothbrush and dip it into a solution of water and baking soda and thoroughly clean the inside of the connectors . Then thoroughly clean the battery terminals also . Dry and connect cables back up tightly. It possible you have some type high resistance connection and then you can at least eliminate the battery connections , clean them even if they look ok , they can have an almost invisible fiilm on them .

[1_mad_daddy]

To those that replied, I want to thank you so very much. He is outside as I type this, trying the different things that were mentioned for the battery. Man, I hope something works soon or I get to not only deal with my not feeling good today, but an irritated husband that will be grouchy as well.
Again, thanks for all of your help, and I will keep eveyone updated.

[vamc]

It could be a bad cell in the batt. i have heard many times that new batt. can have this happen.

[1_mad_daddy]

Thank you all for the great advice. I went to the auto store and got a battery cleaner thing and he went out and cleaned the terminals and the connectors really good, reconnected everything, and all is working fine. He's just having a hard time accepting that his wife (with the help of all of you) figured it out for him. lol
Thanks Again,
Janice

Originally Posted by vamc

It could be a bad cell in the batt. i have heard many times that new batt. can have this happen.

[waltham41]

Great! Glad to hear you got it fixed. When I have starting issues the first thing I do is clean the battery terminals I have seen them cause trouble so many times over the years.

Congrats!