1952 Battery runs down after driving

[Jim Salmi #21340]

The battery on my '52 (6 volt) is about a year old.  When the car is cold, there seems to be enough charge to start the car, even if I have do 2 or 3 fairly long cranks.  I usually disconnect the positive cable if the car is going to sit overnight.  However, after it has been driven up to operating termperature, the battery seems to be weak when I try to restart the car (after a fuel stop, for example).  It did it again today, and I had to have it jumped to get it home.  There were a couple of small puddles of water on the battery, and the positive terminal felt usually warm to the touch.  I can also hear a hissing/gurgling sound when I connect the positive cable.  I will get it tested tomorrow.

Do I have some other issue, like generator or regulator problem, that is draining the battery during operation.  It generally comes back after sitting for several hours.

Thanks in advance for your good advice and councel.

Jim Salmi
 

[35-709]

Make sure the both of the battery terminals and cable ends are clean, sounds like a bad battery ground connection at the battery or where it connects to the frame.  Could also be a bad connection at the starter.  6 volt systems in particular need all connections to be clean and tight to work well and correctly.

[Otto Skorzeny]

OK Jim, you have a lot of little things to check out.

1. Load test your battery. Take the battery to a shop and have this done if you don't have a load tester of your own.

2. How far do you drive? Are you running other power-draining accessories during these drives? If you're playing the radio and running ac on short drives, the battery may not be getting re-charged. The generator may be just keeping up with the immediate demand and not producing enough juice to keep the battery up. Lots of short trips will eventually drain the battery.

3. Make sure your voltage regulator and generator are in perfect shape and working as specified in the manual. A weakness in either can cause the symptoms you're experiencing. Every component in the charging system must be in exact working order. As Geoff said, make sure all connections are clean and tight.

4. Make sure you're using the factory specified cables. This is especially true with 6 volt systems. Too long, too short, too thick, too thin can all impede the starting ability.

5. The starter may in fact be worn out. My '56 did the same thing when it got hot just before I rebuilt it.

[Wayne Womble 12210]

I would be concerned about the puddles of water on the battery. That is usually an indication that the battery has been charging very hard or there is a bad cell. I would check the operation of the alternator and regulator to make sure they are working correctly, and take a look at the condition of the battery itself.     

[Dan LeBlanc]

Have you been polarizing your generator every time you hook the battery back up?  Incorrect polarity can sometimes cause a whole myriad of problems - just like the generator harness fire I had last week on my 61FW.

[D.Yaros]

I would check the operation of the alternator

If he does check the alternator, and finds it is working properly, I would say he has a problem!