In 40 years of owning this car, this is a first time for this problem. Hoping somebody out there can help.

I finally took the Cutlass out of winter storage yesterday. Started up great. Battery had been fully charged in a different, heated building all winter. There was one little hiccup: after shutting it off once it was out of the garage, I turned the key and nothing happened at one point. But when I tried again right away, all was well, so I didn't think anything of it.

Went for a short drive and all seemed well again. Shut it off for a while, restarted again, no problem. But the moment I pulled the lights on, it stalled. Completely dead. No interior lights, nothing. Checked all electrical connections that I could find. Still no power. Tried to boost it with my truck and I got at least some electrical response: rapid clicking, even a very brief attempt at turning over. But not nearly enough to get it started.

Had to leave it outside for the night. Couldn't even get the convertible top up without hooking it back up to the truck.

Did pulling the light switch trigger a short of a some kind? Could an alternator go, just like that, and would that cause these symptoms?

Thanking you in advance.

Paul

 

I would check the battery terminals again. Ignition open and futz around with the cable. Hopefully the buzzer engages.

 

Agree with checking the battery connections.

How old is the battery?

Very likely we will need voltage reading information, otherwise we are making educated guesses.

 

I'll go along with the above. Sounds like a dead battery or a charging system that's not working. You were able to drive it for a while because it was running off the battery and running it down. Although you would think the GEN light would have gone on. But I've seen situations where the charging system IS working and the battery holds to enough charge so that the GEN light doesn't go on but the battery is too weak to start the car.

Happened to me once with a '90 Ford Taurus we owned. No warning. We were at the park with the kids about 40 miles from home. Getting ready to go home, turn the key, nothing. The lights and radio worked, but the engine did not turn over. No GEN/ALT/whatever light on the dash. Called AAA and had it towed to their garage. New battery and we were on our way. The old battery was the original and was probably three or four years old.

 

Just checked my records and the battery is 12 years old, apparently. A Delco. I know by today's standards, that's old. I will try another battery today, double-check my terminals for corrosion -- which I always do -- and report back. Thanks for the quick replies, guys.

 

12 years! Wow. You should have no regrets. That battery has served you well.

 

It was the battery! Moved the one over from my big '66 Olds and started like a charm.

But tell me, why would the car start no problem one minute, then simply shut down while driving the moment I switched on my headlights just two minutes later? And why wouldn't a boost have started it? The terminals were completely clean. A puzzler, for me anyway.

 

Glad it worked out.

With regards to why. Inconsistent current from imminent complete failure.

Think of it like your tv remote. When the batteries start dying the remotes functions start failing and operating inconsistently. It will continue till the remote doesn't work at all of course. But before it gets there you can open the battery compartment. Slide your fingers over the batteries effectively rolling them in position and voila the remote works again momentarily.

Basically your battery started with that last hurrah, but was so weak after that start that once load was introduced it couldn't maintain operation. With regards to the boost, depending on what is used and how its done, a very dead battery can make starting difficult to impossible.

 

Yes, the battery had close to full charge after the winter maintenance you described but it could not support much of a load for very long. An automotive battery provides 12 volts, so do eight 1.5 volt C or D cells in series. Do you think they would be able to start and run your car? Doubtful.

Here is a link that can explain the math behind it if you wish to read it.

https://electronicsarea.com/ohms-law...oogle_vignette

 

Lead-acid batteries degrade via sulfation - a simple process where the electrolyte (sulfuric acid = H2SO4) crystallizes over time. These crystals adhere to various surfaces contained w/in the battery - plates (primarily) & the anode & the cathode (battery terminals). H2SO4 is a liquid solution which contains ions (cations/anions) in solution. It is the ions which create the ability of a lead-acid battery to provide power via electron potential between the two battery terminals by discharging their charge state. The battery operates as a galvanic cell - actually six galvanic cells. Two processes occur: (1) galvanic discharge or (2) electrolytic recharge. IOW, two states: (1) galvanic discharge or (2) electrolytic recharge. The two processes are simply reversed on a continuous/daily routine/basis. These two processes are simple Redox (oxidation reduction) reactions where atoms are reduced (gain electrons) or oxidized (lose electrons). The battery uses the electrolyte solution (comprised of ions of various types: anions/cations) to transfer electrons of one species to another species (e.g. anions = negatively charged, cations = positively charged). As all batteries experience a constant state of flux (gaining &/or losing electrons) the battery terminals &/or plates lose their surface area as the result of sulfation (crystal formations on the plates). These crystals are far more stable than the electrolyte (solution=H2SO4) contained w/in the battery. Therefore, these crystals impede electron flow & create resistance. As the crystals form, less surface area remains on the (lead) plates & terminals. While the battery may appear capable of being charged to a full state of 12.6VDC it will gradually &/or rapidly lose its ability to maintain its charge state because those crystals are impeding the ability to recharge (electrolytic cell) the battery & discharge (galvanic cell) the battery. They're losing state of charge from increased resistance caused by crystal formation(s) on the plates.

While this process occurs in (electrolyte) solution (crystal formation=sulfation) think about it as a salt solution (e.g. salt water) left out to evaporate. After the water evaporates you can visually see the salt crystals which remain. Exact same process is occurring in (electrolyte) solution inside the battery - crystal formations increasing resistance & impeding electron flow.

 

battery terminals need to BE clean not just LOOK clean, if you dont use proper wire brush cleaner there IS corrosion in your connection over time. yes wiggling it will reconnect for a while sometimes

 

Batteries also develop internal cell shorts that load a battery down in addition to any jump/charging source. This can happen due to the battery overheating, being overcharged, mishandled roughly, or running low on water. 12 years on a battery is about as good as it gets.

 

x2 I'd love to get as many years on a battery.

 

Norm, thanks for the in depth explanation, I had a hint at it but knew I couldn't even try to explain it; hence my short statement "it could not support much of a load for very long".

 

Much appreciate the feedback, even the tech-heavy stuff! The one-year-old Delco battery I took from the '66 big Olds is working like a charm.

Got a new one for the '66 yesterday. Life is good