last night my car was fine. but this morning when i went to start it i noticed on my voltmeter that my power was low, at 9ish volts. i try to start it and the starter motor barely spins. i try it again, nothing. using a test light, i have power at battery, alternator, and fuse block. on fuse block, i have power on left side with key off, right side in on position, like it should be. what in the world is happening. i threw a charger on the battery and it is full? thanks for the help

well, i took off the battery terminals, cleaned everything up real good, then chargerd it again. waited, then the volt gage show 14 volts with key in the ON postion. so i figure everything is ok, turn the key and hear a small noise (didnt sound like the starter, maybe it was something shorting) then now the gauge show below 8 volts. so i figure i MUST have a short somewhere. please help me find it!!

[This message has been edited by boduke (edited 03-29-2002).]

Not a real expert here, but I've seen this happen with a bad ground - check yours and the cable connected at the starter.

As was mentioned in the above post, check your ground(s) very carefuly. If need be, disconnect the negative battery cable from where it's grounded and clean the connecting surfaces. Be sure it has a good SOLID connection to the engine block. The sound you heard was, more than likely, the sound of an electrical "arc" across a bad connection. Check the positive cable as well. Be sure the terminal is clean and TIGHT on the battery. Because the electrical system is so simple on these cars, troubleshooting a problem such as yours is usually pretty straight forward.

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MalibuJerry350
TC Member #1279
Original owner '70 Chevelle.
572,000+ miles on car.
Hey, if it's got wheels, DRIVE IT!
My Chevelle: http://hometown.aol.com/erie614/myhomepage/index.html

i did all those things you guys suggested before i even posted the question, do you think maybe a voltage regulator is friend or something?

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Nick
70 El Camino SS 396
3.73 with a 12 bolt

http://www.geocities.com/bodukess/my_elco_page.html

If you jump start the car does it fire up?

Your voltage may show fine before any load but as soon as you turn the key to start the solenoid then the starter demand a lot of current. Take your battery to a parts store and have it load tested.

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Steve Strasemeier (70SS 396, Fathom Blue/White Stripes)
My 70SS (http://www.members.home.com/txss/sshome.htm)

I agree with Steve S. Voltage ok, does not necessarily mean the battery can produce the amps required to engage the solenoid, turn the starter and especially rotate the engine. I'm guessing your battery needs to be replaced. The question becomes: why? Once the car is running you will definitely want to check your alternator output. I'd expect 13+ volts with engine not running and 14+ volts while engine is running.

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ACES# Pending
TC# 1682
1969 SS396
Slowtalker's Website (http://mywebpage.netscape.com/slowtalker)
My Chevelle (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/chevelle.JPG)

thanks for all the help guys, i got a new battery cable. the positive cable was cracked badly on the post. i was getting so much resistance from that. got it running again. now i just gotta get the timing nailed.

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