I would have posted this in audio, but it's not related to a large stereo system at all. My car's stock enginewise as well.

My starter has been VERY sluggish lately.........turns over maybe 2 times a second. I'm pretty sure it's my battery but wanted to get another opinion first. Battery voltage just sittin there is a tidge under 10, and when the car is running it's up around 14.5-15 (so I know the alternator is working). It just snowed and is fairly nasty outside and i don't have an indoor workspace readily available....so removing and testing the starter isn't a viable option as of right now. Am I correct that it's my battery, or could my starter be going out?

92 LS, 92k miles.

 

Hey zoom, long time no hear!!

Anywho, i had the same problem and didnt think it was my battery as it was less than 18 months old, and never failed to start, but just the same as you the starter was getting very slow, but i got a battery for free from a friend and stuck it in and the starter whizzed up immediately, 10x quicker than with the old battery, so it sounds like my battery was done. I figured that 18months was a very short battery life, but then realised that i have a 600w amp, feeding a 12" 500w sub, and disc changer, plus i have 2 alarms and 3 immobilzers (2 of them battery fed) so all that extra load on the battery possibly caused its life to be short lived

 

hey, there's my english bro! good to hear from ya. thanks for lettin me know, my battery date has no year, but i know it was on there when i got the car last july. i'll give it a switch and see what happens; luckily there's one other G2IC guy here in town so i'll make him let me use his real quick just to test. thanks again!

 

So you're saying that your Battery Voltage is 10V.. Is that while cranking or just Open Circuit Testing?.. If it's 10V with an Open Circuit Test (with Multimeter on battery) then it's your Battery. It has to be because you've already proven your alternator works fine.

To be more detailed about the Battery problem, just think.. On a good Battery, voltage is 12.6 at least.. When you crank the Starter, voltage at the Starter Solenoid B Terminal drops down to 10 to 11V.. And the Ignition System has to see 9.6V in order to make proper spark.

So since you've got 10V at the Battery, the Starter Solenoid probably sends out 8 to 9Volts to the Starter and Igntion System which isn't enough to run them. And with less voltage, the Starter will draw more amperage.. Because if you think about it, an engine needs 2000 watts to crank over.

And the Wattage formula is Voltage x Amperage = Watt.. So since you've got less voltage going to the Starter, the Starter is going to draw more amperage to get 2000 watts out of the Battery. And the Starter is drawing more amperage, it wears down the Battery and you get a sluggish Starter.


---But, if you're Battery tests fine. You might have a problem with your Armature rubbing up against the Pole Shoes. And for this to happen, your bushings would have had to worn out.

Good Luck..

 

thanks for the detailed explanation. it was 10v with the car off, just using a multimeter on the battery terminals. Went ahead and splurged on an optima red top. Starts right away now.

 

Really just 10V with it off??.. I wonder if it is a Parasitic Drain.. Oh well.. At least it starts now.. All you gotta do now is wait and see if it dies on you again.. If so, you've probably got a Parasitic Drain..

 

well, like i said...........battery seems to have been in the car for a while. I'm guessing it was already on its way out, and the alarm prolly helped it along (sure, it doesn't drain it very much, but with a battery as crappy as this one it probably was enough). I have an Optima Red Top now, so i'm guessing this won't be a problem for a very long time.