knfeparty

I've been following this thread since my car too is a bit hesitant to start sometimes, moreso when hot. I usually keep it on a battery tender but recently have been keeping it in a storage unit with no available outlet. I took it out today to change the rotors and took a video just because. It had been started about 30 minutes before. Note the battery at 12V at first, but dipping way down when cranking. It has never failed to start though.

Ahsai

Can't hear much but looks like it's starting strong if you watch how fast the tach goes up. Voltage dropping to 10V-10.5V is entirely normal. If it drops below 9.8V or so, you have a problem.

Revn29k00

Would it be a good idea for knfeparty to try and replace the Y cable or is this showing symptoms of the starter being heat soaked? I show the exact symptoms as above and in the summer I always feel like im going to be stranded.

I checked to see if my rad fans were functioning properly and they are. Saw your post about the Y cable and I'm wondering if I should change that as a start.

knfeparty

Okay great I will continue to not worry about it then. The car always starts, it just starts with a bit more enthusiasm after it's been on the battery charger as opposed to when it hasn't been.

Ahsai

You may want to check the battery voltage when the key is at the last position before you crank (drawing 10A already). It should read 12.3v or more. If it's less, the battery is not fully charged. Some possibilities are: low charging voltage, which should be between 13.2V (with all load) to 14V (right after engine cold start). Or you have a parasitic drain overnight.

Ahsai

I like to make sure something is bad before replacing it. It takes a couple of hrs to replace this cable so it would be a bummer if it does not improve anything afterwards. Granted, the updated cable is much improved so it won't hurt.

You can do a voltage drop test of this cable and the corrosion will show up as excessive voltage drop. Just measure the voltage between the B+ terminal at the back of the alternator and the engine jump start +ve terminal with a/c and low beam ON (50A load total). If you see anything > 0.2v, the cable is bad.

Also, if the cable is bad, your voltage will most likely drop below 13.2V if you turn on the most heavy loads - a/c, low beam, rear defroster, and heated seats (90A total load). The reverse may not be true because a marginal/bad regulator/alternator will also produce low voltage even with a perfect cable.