I've owned my '95 C2 for 10+ yrs. It's been a great vehicle. The vehicle sits more than is driven (60,000 mi). I'm having trouble with my C2 starting. The car will either make a click sound when I try to start it or just not feel like it has much fire when it does turn over. There's no delay in it starting once it turns over and it drives perfect from that point on. I initially thought my battery was failing. I charged the battery and the car started up normally. The following morning, I went to start the car and it acted as I described above. I drove the car for an hour, parked it and let it sit 15 minutes. I went to start the vehicle and had the same starting issue. I decided to buy a new battery. After installation, the car started right up. I turned the car off and let it sit 30 minutes. When I went to start again, same issue. I'm not sure if it's the starter, a loose wire or what. I see no corrosion on my battery cables. I've not looked any further than that. I have to believe others have experienced the same issue. Thanks in advance for any input you can provide.

 

When running the voltage at the cigarette lighter plug should be 13.5 to 14.2 volts showing that the alternator is working properly.
A minute or two after turning the engine off the voltage with a brand new battery should be between 12.6 and 12.8 volts showing the battery is accepting a charge. If this all checks out and your battery attachment wires and the starter attachment wire looks good and the battery grounding (-) strap looks shiny and clean it sounds like you may have a parasitic loss somewhere running your battery down. There are lots of useful Youtube videos on how to identify what circuit is causing the loss by using a Volt/Ohm meter. A $7 item at Harbor Freight.
Hope this helps,
Andy

 

From the symptoms you describe it doesn't sound like a parasitic battery drain issue as your 'new' battery behaved the same as the old one after a short time. Having said that I would check regardless for a parasitic drain, you may have several issues. This site explains quite well how to check https://us.autologic.com/news/testin...tage-drop#null

It is possible your new battery has a faulty cell, this can happen, it happened to me and had me scratching my head for a while.

 

Check the ground strap in the frunk.

 

So far, everything you've stated points to something either draining your battery after it sits awhile or battery charging (alternator).

1. Clicking and weak turn over is almost ALWAYS a weak battery
2. You charged the battery and it started fine
3. Following morning, it didn't start
4. After you got it to start and drove it, the problem re-appeared after sitting a short while
5. You then bought a new battery and it started just fine the first time
6. After sitting for awhile, it no longer started with the new battery

You need to get a voltmeter as suggested and take some readings. Either one that plugs into the cigarette lighter or a normal one to take readings at the battery.

Take readings:

1. After battery is charged (vehicle off)
2. With vehicle at idle (or while driving if cigarette lighter voltmeter)
3. After return from a drive (vehicle off)
4. Every 5-10 minutes after (vehicle off)
5. After 30 minutes (vehicle off) when you have problems starting the car

It does seem a bit odd that after 15 minutes of returning from a drive, you'd have such a drain that the battery would be too weak to start. It may be a charging issue. Have you ever tried to turn it off and restart immediately after a drive without letting it sit?

Curious, if you turn the key without starting the car, does the alternator warning lamp come on with all the other warning lamps during the bulb check? If you have an alternator issue with charging the battery, that light should come on while driving, assuming it is not burnt out. That's why I'd like to confirm the bulb does actually work to begin with.


Last thought, I've read of some issues with either the CCU or rear blower staying on too long after a drive and draining the battery. Possibility here but you should start with the basics (monitoring voltage before, during and after).

 

I've read the frunk light could stay on if the switch on the latch fails or is out of adjustment. To check you can use a screwdriver to close the latch with the frunk lid open. Just remember to pull the lever in the interior to reopen the latch.

I'm sure other's can describe that circuits operation (frunk, engine cover, interior, glove box, ash tray lights) better than I can.

 

Thanks for all the guidance. This will give me a good starting point in figuring out.

 

I'd check the starter motor cables. They're hard to get to but the ground strap there is a suspect. Power from alternator comes to starter then to battery so if you have no charging issues I'd suspect the ground strap on the starter. Some fine emory paper, some carb spray and a good cleaning will probably do it.

 

I had this exact same issue a few months ago and it was that frunk light not turning off when the hood was closed. It managed to kill a new battery over the span of 3-4 months even when I had it hooked up to a battery tender every night.

 

Don't just check it, replace it and clean the gound point.

 

Number three for the front ground strap.

Same as you, slow starter.
There was a noticeable speed increase with the starter with a new ground strap. Not sure if it is totally the new ground strap, or cleaning the connection.

 

You'd have to have one heck of a parasitic drain to kill a new battery in 30 minutes that a few minutes earlier started the car just fine. That quick test also points suspicion away from the alternator. I'd focus on the cabling to the starter and starter itself.

 

I had intermittent click-no-start with good battery that resolved to a bad starter bendix. Unfortunately the part was NLA so I had to buy a new Bosch alternator but $250 solved the problem.

 

Disconnect the battery before trying to clean the connections or strap on the starter. Foks have been killed when a starter drives the car off of jack stands.
Andy

 

You had a bad starter bendix so you fixed the problem by replacing the alternator? I am assuming you mean you replaced the starter. Did you do it with the engine/trans in the car?

-Scott