Intermittent no crank , battery flickers with bass hit, parasitic draw

[88sogreatv8]

I have an issue with my battery draining down to 5 volts after sitting in my garage for a month. The other issues i think are related is sometimes the vehicle will not crank . I have to work the ignition several times to get it to crank. I also noticed that when my bass hits my lights dim . I think it is related to a ground issue. I have done a continuity test and i have good chassis ground. The battery is new, the starter is new and i have a high amp alternator. I am thinking of redoing the ground to the engine block. It is original to the engine i got from the junkyard. this 1uz is also swapped into a 1988 cressida

 

[P Bateman]

To chase down parasitic current draw:
- switch the ignition off and remove the key
- disconnect your negative battery terminal
- Set your multi meter to AMPS and place it between the negative battery terminal and the cable

An acceptable level of parasitic current draw is around 20 to 50 mA

If the current draw is higher, start pulling fuses out one by one, each time checking the current draw, the refitting the fuse
When find the fuse that makes reading drop into an acceptable range, you know which circuit is sucking the battery dry.
From there, you'll need to diagnose the circuit.

Deal with this first before you start chasing ignition switch and audio system issues.

BTW continuity tests are NG. A thick-ass battery cable that is cut through to one remaining strand still has continuity but is clearly unfit for purpose. Resistance tests are always the best way to go. Make sure your battery cables have a clean unpainted bare metal surface to bolt onto.

PB

 

[88sogreatv8]

Update . Pulled the starter and bench tested it. Seems to be working fine. Did a draw test. showed no draw at all . My main concern is the original main starter wire and the ground wire. they both came with the used engine. Im going to replace both wires and cross my fingers. I am also replacing the starter to be safe. Update soon..

 

[ivan129]

This looks to be the same, or similar problem you raised 2 and half years ago.
Forum Members advised you to replace the power and ground leads back then.
Maybe its time to get an auto elec to take a look at it.

 

[88sogreatv8]

This looks to be the same, or similar problem you raised 2 and half years ago.
Forum Members advised you to replace the power and ground leads back then.
Maybe its time to get an auto elec to take a look at it.

Thank you for the response .
I just replaced all the ground cables and power cables. I added an additional ground directly to the starter housing.
Unfortunately still have this issue. is the possibility that an aftermarket alarm could cause such an issue?

It honestly seems like the starter isn't receiving enough voltage it needs to crank

 

[ivan129]

I guess its possible that your aftermarket alarm could be the problem.
Why not isolate it, to see if that makes any difference.

Your statrter gets its ground (Battery -ve) through the starter body to the engine block via the ground cable back to the -ve termial off the battery.
There is no need for a seperate ground to the starter.

The starter solenoid has a heavy power feed from the +ve battery. You should have full battery voltage there. This provides the grunt to the starter so it can crank the engine over.
A smaller wire from the ignition key applies battery voltage to the solenoid that causes the starter to engage with the ring gear on the flywheel to crank the engine over. Its possible that your alarm maybe wired into this starter solenoid wire affecting the delivery of power to the solenoid.
Most alarms that I have seen can use a relay to switch this wire.
You can also get high current relays (like 200A) that can be used to switch battery power on and off. I use a remote one on my car in addition to the alarm that isolates the starter feed.
Try to record the sound of your intermittent start makes and post it on the forum. It might help.

 

[88sogreatv8]

So update . I went ahead a relocated my battery to the trunk , so i could make room for my oil filter relocation, and future turbo setup. I replaced the engine grounds to chassis and a new distrubution block and all new eyelid connections for the new 0 gauge wiring from under the hood to the battery. the eyelid for the starter was old and original, so i replaced that also. I put a redtop optima battery in it.

So far it cranks over everytime! fingers crossed it had something to do with the way it was hooked up to the battery originally. Thinking about it the ground wire that connected to the battery went straight to the engine block 4 gauge, and the battery ground from the battery to the chassis was 6 gauge. I wonder if that was the issue all along.

Ill give it a few months and see how it does . Now i need to address why the engine runs rich!

Thank you for all the advice and help

 

[ivan129]

So update . I went ahead a relocated my battery to the trunk , so i could make room for my oil filter relocation, and future turbo setup. I replaced the engine grounds to chassis and a new distrubution block and all new eyelid connections for the new 0 gauge wiring from under the hood to the battery. the eyelid for the starter was old and original, so i replaced that also. I put a redtop optima battery in it.

So far it cranks over everytime! fingers crossed it had something to do with the way it was hooked up to the battery originally. Thinking about it the ground wire that connected to the battery went straight to the engine block 4 gauge, and the battery ground from the battery to the chassis was 6 gauge. I wonder if that was the issue all along.

Ill give it a few months and see how it does . Now i need to address why the engine runs rich!

Thank you for all the advice and help

Good to hear you've had some success. Crimps on the battery cable eyelets can often corrode over time.

One thing you should check with your battery relocation:- measure the battery voltage at the battery terminals with the alternator charging (engine running at 1500RPM with headlights on). You should measure around 14.2 - 14.5V. This is the typical charge / float output voltage from the alternator. If the voltage is less that 14V you will most likely need to run a heavy positive from the alternator output to your battery +ve.

If you're going to modify the engine (such as forced induction), then you should put an after market ECU on your shopping list as the stock one will not do the job. Another thing to consider when plumbing with your oil filter relocation kit is to consider adding an engine oil cooler. This can help dispate some of the extra heat generated by the engine once you've done those mods.

 

[88sogreatv8]

Good to hear you've had some success. Crimps on the battery cable eyelets can often corrode over time.

One thing you should check with your battery relocation:- measure the battery voltage at the battery terminals with the alternator charging (engine running at 1500RPM with headlights on). You should measure around 14.2 - 14.5V. This is the typical charge / float output voltage from the alternator. If the voltage is less that 14V you will most likely need to run a heavy positive from the alternator output to your battery +ve.

If you're going to modify the engine (such as forced induction), then you should put an after market ECU on your shopping list as the stock one will not do the job. Another thing to consider when plumbing with your oil filter relocation kit is to consider adding an engine oil cooler. This can help dispate some of the extra heat generated by the engine once you've done those mods.

i will test the charging voltage to see if i need to install a new power wire. Do you have a suggestion for ecu's. I am located in Indiana USA. Also with the oil filter relocation , i bought a mishimoto oil cooler, an fittings and braided lines for the whole setup.

Should i install the oil setup as the following ; out of the engine , to the oil cooler , out of the oil cooler to the filter , then out of the filter back to the block ?

 

[ivan129]

Haltech & Link are a good place to start looking. I run a Haltech elite 2500 however this is now one of Haltech's older models. They have released a number of newer ECU models. I aslo have their IC7 dash, IO expander, dual O2 box and 8 x EGT box. You need to do some research as you might also want to fit other components like a dash, IO box, EGT box or dual O2 interface. You may also need alternate sensors for temp, pressure and knock.

I run a remote engine oil filter and engine oil cooler with thermo control on a 8" fan in front of the exchanger (radiator).
Best be guided by the instructions provided in your kit or search on the net for installation ideas.