I've had my battery and alternator tested. Both passed fine. I replaced the starter too. Put the Ohm meter on it and as I type I'm sitting at 11.5. Yet, when I turn the key all I get is click click click. What am I missing? Could it be a ground? The cable appears fine... fairly gunked with road goo from the years where it attaches to the block and perfect at the battery connection.
Steve, what are you putting an ohmmeter on? Do you mean voltmeter? If your getting +11.5V, where? At the battery or the starter? We're gonna need a whole lot more detail than that...like for starters, year, make & model of what you're working on. Devon
Yes, sorry bit of an electrical rookie. I am putting it on the battery. I also have a quick disconnect on the positive. When I remove it I don't see a drain. Nor do I see much of a drain when it is connected. The starter is new and when I had a batt charger on it. It fired right away. After letting the car sit for 30 minutes (charger removed) I tried the key and got the click noise. Note, the wires to the starter are as follows. White or yellow color to R. Dark wire (might be purple) to S. Batt and larger black wire to large fitting on starter. HOWEVER There is also a fat black wire that has a larger (hard to describe..) sort of a wrap thing about 1/2" length with a smaller wire coming out of it. That wire is busted See image. PS. This is for my 71 Skylark 350.
Steve, did you have the voltage regulator tested? Also, are there any other electrical concerns with the car? What you show in your diagram may be a burned out fusible link. If the headlights and the rest of the car are getting power OK, someone may have bypassed it. It's hard to know without seeing an actual photo. See if any of this helps from the Chassis Manual: http://www.teambuick.com/reference/library/71_chassis/files/68-c.pdf Devon
I would say to try a known good battery. I've had the same issue. I had a bad batt, and put jumpers from a truck with a strong batt and Alt and I was still getting clicks! I thought my starter was done for sure. Before I was about to replace the starter, I put a new NeverStart (Everstart) from Walmart and it fired right up!
Quick disconnect is for the negative side of the battery, not the positive. Try eliminating it completely, and see if it will crank.
11.5 volts on a 12 volt battery is dead dead, DEAD. "12 volt" batteries are actually 12.6 volts, 2.1 volts per lead acid cell.
After checking and checking everything again, I ran back to the auto store with my batt and told them, "I know the battery tested fine but it will not start the car. Positive cable replaced, starter replaced, alternator tested and working, neg cable appears fine, clean on both ends, added a quick disconnect to the positive side. Car started great for 6 months with no electrical changes. Took the car in for paint, and upon picking it up, it was dead. Presumably for keeping the doors open for painting. If I attach jumper cables or my batt charger, it will instantly fire. " I returned home with a new batt and installed it. So far, the car is starting... obviously because it is new... If it was not the battery, it will be dead by Sunday night. Ps. Problem existed before disconnect. Will move to negative side.
if you have a volt meter, check the out put with it running now. Should be over 13 volts. If not, then you may have a regulator issue.
That might be a fusible link... Check this and see if any of this makes sense.... http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=215835 KFD
