lshlsh2

I went to start the car today to warm it up. It had not been started in a couple of months. I thought it was the battery and hooked up the charger but battery was charged. There is nothing, no lights, buzzers or anything.
I am wondering where to look next.
Car is a 71 cutlass convertible 350 2bl

Thanks Larry

MDchanic

Battery cable clamps where they connect to the battery posts - remove and clean both the clamps and the posts until shiny.
Also check where the wires attach to the clamps, if they are the aftermarket type that bolt onto the wires.

- Eric

66luvr

Well, I think I would check the connections where the battery cables go to the block for ground and the positive cable goes to the starter, or wherever it goes. Keep it simple. You checked the battery, it has juice, but you are loosing all of it, should be a big major connection. IMO

oldcutlass

X2 on what Eric suggested, they are probably corroded. What voltage is your battery reading, 12.66 volts is considered fully charged, 11.7 or less is a dead battery.

lshlsh2

Cleaned cables still nothing. Cables are newish replaced about 5 years ago 2 gauge. The old ones were hacked up. Starter was replaced about a year ago.

Larry

Octania

"battery was charged."

verified by what means?? voltmeter?
test light?

if you put a charger on it and the charge rate was near zero, it may be a totally dead battery with frozen water instead of acid.

MDchanic

Start checking for voltage at each step:
Across the battery terminals
From the (+) terminal to the block
From the (+) terminal to the firewall or core support
From the (-) terminal to the alternator
From the (-) terminal to the starter hot
From the (-) terminal to the horn relay post...

You'll find the bad section at some point.

... And +1 to what Chris said.

- Eric

lshlsh2

Ok thanks I will check, maybe on Tues. Looks like a snow day.

Larry

lshlsh2

Finally got around to checking today. It was the battery, put a volt meter on it and no volts. Never had one go completely dead like that.

Note to self: Check the easy things first, don't make things worse than they are.

Larry

Junkman

When you find that the battery is totally discharged, you should also check to see if there is something in the car that is causing the battery to discharge. Many times, it is a slight drain on the battery that causes this, and other times, it is just that the battery was old and gave up the ghost. I have put batteries that are totally dead on a trickle charger, and after a few days, they come back to life, and are as good as new, and don't fail after that, since I have found the original cause of the failure. Usually it is a trunk light or some other obscure light, such as the glove box light not going off. I even had a clock drain the battery till both were dead as a result. Cars don't like to be left for long periods with the battery hooked up. If you are not going to be using the car for an extended period, then remove the battery and put it on a trickle charge in the garage, or put the trickle charger on the battery in the car. You can get the maximum life out of a battery if you keep it fully charged, and never let it get into a discharged state, and stay there for a long period of time.

lshlsh2

When the car sits for a long time I usually disconnect the battery. I have a quick disconnect installed but it doesn't work when you forget to use it.

Larry