Engine stops when I remove jumper cables....why?

[dspaulding70]

My engine got some water on it when I had the hood up at a show.  I tried to start it but the starter was just clicking.  I used a pair of jumper cables and got the engine to start and run but when I removed the jumper cables, the engine immediately died.

Is the problem battery, alternator, water shorting out something?  The battery has never given me any trouble.  Thoughts??

[Big Lebowski]

bad alt. next question.

[A383Wing]

Or bad connections at the battery terminals. Try that first....

Bryan

[dspaulding70]

If alternator got wet, will it work when it dries out?

[dpm68]

You can pretty much soak those bastards and they will keep running. Try a multi-meter across the  (fully charged) battery terminals while it is running, it should read above 14 if it's in fighting shape. If it still reads 12 or so, look to be getting an alternator.

[Dave22443]

Could also be a voltage regulator.  Many parts stores can test both your battery and your altenator to see if either is the problem.  If both check out, I'd look at replacing the regulator.

[Kevin68N71]

Just for grins I would check the battery terminals first...when you are squeezing them with jumpers it is sometimes just enough to make a better connection.

Then borrow another battery and try it.

Next move would be to have a look at that alternator.

[tan top]

sounds like a dead battery to me 

[dspaulding70]

AND THE WINNER IS.........................................DEAD BATTERY!

Thanks for the help.

Darrell

[Dave22443]

I'm not convinced.

If the battery was dead and you started the car using jumpers, the car should run on the altenator even with no battery in the car at all.  My guess is the battery was indeed dead, but that doesn't mean it was bad.  You could have killed it by running the car for a while with no charging system working.  Just putting a new battery in the car won't fix that problem.

[Arkolyte]

True, I've had this problem myself, and it turned out to be the alternator.

[craigandlynda]

once the engine is idling at normal speed, you should be able to disconnect the battery...a good charging system will produce more than enough juice to run the engine- and it won't shut off..if the motor dies when you disconnect the battery, you have a bad charging system...also, if you disconnect the battery, and the engine still runs, next flip on the headlites- if the motor stays running, you have a good system...if the motor dies then check the system for bad regulator, crappy wiring or connectors, even a crappy ignition switch...

[challenger70]

once the engine is idling at normal speed, you should be able to disconnect the battery...a good charging system will produce more than enough juice to run the engine- and it won't shut off..if the motor dies when you disconnect the battery, you have a bad charging system...also, if you disconnect the battery, and the engine still runs, next flip on the headlites- if the motor stays running, you have a good system...if the motor dies then check the system for bad regulator, crappy wiring or connectors, even a crappy ignition switch...

[mikepmcs]

I agree with a charging problem here.  Battery will last a bit cause it's new.  Dont' think that is the fix, if a charging system is working, the car should have stayed running after the initial jump the first time.

v/r
Mike

[Big Lebowski]

  Hows the battery holding up?

[1969chargerrtse]

I'm not convinced.

If the battery was dead and you started the car using jumpers, the car should run on the altenator even with no battery in the car at all.  My guess is the battery was indeed dead, but that doesn't mean it was bad.  You could have killed it by running the car for a while with no charging system working.  Just putting a new battery in the car won't fix that problem.

[dspaulding70]

Truck still running on the new battery after 2 weeks.........

[zerfetzen]

If alternator got wet, will it work when it dries out?

Once I had an experience that an alternator on a 440 got wet, dried, and never worked right again.  It took me a little while to figure out that had to be the cause, and it was.  At least, that was my experience.

[dspaulding70]

Update.....truck still running after 8 months on the new battery

[resq302]

I had this problem on a Jeep I once owned.  Turns out the battery went bad in a blink of an eye.  Must have been a bad cell that warped or something.  Even with the engine running, the battery would not take a charge and if you have electronic ignition, your module or computer needs a minimum amount of voltage in order to run.

Granted, the alternator could be putting out enough juice to keep the car running but once it gets to the battery (energy storage) and the battery is bad and causing a direct ground to kill the power, your car would never run.  Hence, once you jump started it off of another car (basically staring your car off of another battery) and you removed the wires, you were taking a good, normally functioning battery away from the car and leaving your car still with the internally grounding battery.