I have a problem, AGAIN, i know, gosh get everything fixed but i dont have the money.

Whenever i start my car, it will just click and everything goes dead. Well i found out that was my battery terminal (cable) so whenever i go and adjust it it will work and try and start. Yet, Whenever it does start, it starts for like two seconds and dies, it will start up and immediately die. I have also noticed that after about 8-10 time of it dying like that it will start up and be okay, yet whenever i drive it kind of dogs down a little bit at the start then it's fine. Im not sure as to what it could be. I noticed this morning when it finally started, there was some black smoke in the back. This is what i think it could be, but please give me feedback,

1. Spark Plugs
2. Oil Filter, it's about time i change it.

That's about all i can think of, so PLEASE help me out.

 

Its either your battery or battery cable. A poor coonection will cause all of the problems your describing. Once the truck (not a car) is running the alternator provides the power and charges the battery.

For free you can take the battery cable off and clean it. If you have an AC Delco battery be careful of the positive post. They like to disentegrate within the battery, and when that happens it might come out with the cable and then it will leak battery acid. If that is the case, you need a new battery, and buy a can of battery acid cleaner to nuetralize the acid. If you don't nuetralize it, it will eat holes through everything it make contact with.

 

Okay i understand it's a truck, i just say car. I appreciate that advice. And i know that once the car starts it runs off of the alternator, but like i said the car will start for like 1-2 seconds and die off, like it revs up the rpms because it started then it drops back down, so how long would it take for the alternator to kick in. So i think it's just the battery terminal (cable) isnt all the way in so i shall have to see. But would that cause the smoke in te back, and dog down when ur driving off.

 

Anyone think it could be anything else?

 

Naw, I'm with the battery connections. But; battery connections have at least TWO (2) ends each. That makes at least 4, four places to check just for starters. The positive goes from the battery to the starter. If loose at either end you get all those problems. The ground- negative will go from battery to engine block and perhaps there will be a couple of straps from engine to chassis. Another ground may run to chassis. I always add one from battery to chassis direct. One to engine and one to chassis. Check all of those.

Another very important wire runs from positive to the alternator, perhaps in a sort of tapped off at the side of the bigger cable way. But its there. It actually charges the battery. Also very important.

Many batteries, not just the Delco, end up with bad threads in the front-sides and have problems. Buy a good steel brush, two new battery bolts, clean everything off and recconnect the wires.. Not bad idea to check the starter itself and its wiring. If that large wire gets a little loose down at the starter you may have a serious problem when it shorts out with some of the other wires down there. Smoke and even fire can result from bad connections and oil and grease down there.

Yes I am being over cautious, but untill you check all of the above and look seriously at all those wires, the discussion cant go forward very far. The basics is where everyione has to start. Just glancing at it, or hitting it with an old coke bottle like my ex used to do, will not make it go away.

Had to add this. Real handy item in the shop is several boxes of baking soda. Leaking battery acid will be nuetralized very quickly with the stuff. Heck it'll even stop some small grease fires if used right. Not only that, it keep the outdoor fridge smelling great even if you never clean it.

 

I checked what you said, and all the wires seemed fine, the only thing is that the positive and the negative were lose. Now i notice that all the lights would go off and then when i tightened up the negative they all came on and since then, ive only started it once yet it started perfect. So let me see how she does tomorrow and ill let you know more. Thanks alot for all the hhelp

 

Yeah the big old chevy vans were real famous for bad ground connections. They (GM) ran an extra strap just to make sure the front of the car had a good ground, but as the trucks got old, they got rusty. Funny how you could be driving along and the only thing wrong would be the lites in front going up and down. Dimmer and brighter.

Anyone is his right mind would suspect an alternator or slipping belt or something, but not on those trucks.

I failed to mention that rinsing the baking soda off with the water hose is the recommended follow-up to the battery acid problem. Water mixed with baking soda works good too.

Any spray style ready made container would be faster and perhaps save a paint job, though.

The follow-up to the cleaning of battery terminals is to find a good dielectric grease and coat the terminals with it. Of course any good solid grease will work, but the darn connection had better be tight first. The grease will keep corrosion and vibration harmonics problems down to a minimum. Yes folks, grease absorbs vibration harmonics that will cause bolts to come loose. Odd?

If you have changed the battery bolts you should have no more problems. Be sure to have the correct wrench for the bolt head available. Using a pair of pliers tears up the head of the bolt and does not get it properly tight . The problem will simply be gone for 2 or 3 months and come back at the first good rain right about then. Just exactly when you dont need it??????

 

Well i have a new batter, im talking maybe a little over a month old, so its not battery accid or corosion, its what you said in ur last paragraph, "Be sure to have the correct wrench for the bolt head available. Using a pair of pliers tears up the head of the bolt and does not get it properly tight", my brother tried to tighten w/a crescent wrench and that's why they arent tight and they are stripped, so ill have to get new ones.