A while back my battery came loose while driving and the negative post hit the rod coming up that holds the battery down. I am assuming it grounded out. Didn't notice it until when I went to drive it a few days later and it wouldn't start. I charged the battery up and then tested it. It holds a charge and still reads good for the load test. The alternator throws 14 volts and att he battery after the alternator it is 13.8. The regulator was replaced. It seems to charge because if I drive it a fair distance after the battery gets fully charged and I stop it will restart each time. When it sits for a couple of hours it drains down. What could be doing this? The starter I was thinking. How. An I test it? Or should I take it to a parts store for bench testing? I have a 70 olds 88 convertible wih 455. Ankhs for your help in advance.

 

Disconnect the battery and measure it's voltage, then measure it again the next day that will tell you if it will hold a charge. If you measure the resistance across the positive and negative cables that will tell you if you have a short. BTW the negative post is the ground so that shouldn't have affected anything. You could have shorted out the battery if the positive post was hit. Were you getting 14 volts at the battery? The starter shouldn't be drawing any power if the ignition is off.

 

...If you measure the resistance across the positive and negative cables that will tell you if you have a short.
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Huh?
If you measure ohms from one end of a wire to the other it will not indicate a "short".... not all electrical faults are "shorts" right? We have opens, too.

BTW the negative post is the ground so that shouldn't have affected anything. You could have shorted out the battery if the positive post was hit.
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Right, the battery negative is connected to the engine and body, so touching the battery (-) to the body also at the battery hold down is no problem.

The starter shouldn't be drawing any power if the ignition is off...
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Nor should anything else in a 70 98. When everything is off, nothing should be draining the battery.
This is simple troubleshooting.

 

What about an electric clock?

 

An electric clock will show as a drain on the battery. I have a new rally pack with a digital clock and it will show a slight draw.
A simple test to see if you have a drain on your battery is to disconnect the positive battery cable. Connect a test light between the positive post of the battery and the positive cable. If the test light lights up there is an open circuit such as the dome light on. There will be a slight glow for the clock. A larger draw will be brighter. If you have a bright light with everything off and the doors shut you can start pulling fuses to isolate the circuit that is open.

 

I had charged the battery, tested it, let it sit for almost a week because work got hectic. I then tested it again and it was fine. I just did the test above with the test light and nothing lit up. I tested the battery, car won't start amd battery is reading 11.5 volts.... He clock won't drain it because I have pulled that fuse long ago because a few years ago that and the radio drained it.

 

I had my battery fully charged ( Interstate battery ) prior to picking up my car out of storage on Saturday, Put the battery in with a couple cranks it was dead. I would say its the battery or a loose fusible link down by the starter.

 

Does it crank at all? At 11.5 volts it should at least crank slowly.

 

It won't crank at all. I hooked it up to my other car to jump start it and it fired right up with no coaxing..

 

Sounds like the battery to me. I would take it to the store and have them load test it.

 

Starter brushes do wear out.
Solenoid contact plates get corroded and fail
That, or faulty connections/ cables- they do rot out where you can't see the issue, but basic troubleshooting will quickly spot the culprit.

As for a clock, sure, but I was thinking non-negligible drains that would say render a healthy battery ineffective after as little as a week of inactivity.

 

At 11.5 volts the battery is considered dead.

 

Nice chart. Sure is looking like a bad battery.

 

Battery maintenence is a good idea on any vehicle. A battery that is not held secure is dangerous and not good for the battery. Vibration can cause premature failure. A moving or sliding battery can cause a hole to wear and result in loss of electrolite in a cell. I have seen batteries with no water in a cell test good after charging when tested with a volt meter and even an initial load test, but they won't hold a charge and are junk. Keep the battery and connections clean. I have seen dirty batteries with a 2 volt drain across the top of the battery. If you have a dirty battery try attaching a volt meter with one end connected to either the +or - and the other probe or clamp touching various spots on the battery top inbetween the posts. You may be suprised. Even a clean looking battery may show something if there is acid residue or condensation on the battery.

 

Awesome chart! Guess it's time for a new battery, again. It is still under warranty but is is the 3rd that's been replaced under that warranty and the shop is an hour away now where I got it. Going to go local and just bite the bullet for a new one.