Thursday, Jun 10, 2010 at 16:10
ok Mickos,
from your Day3-experience I gather your alternator/regulator is a two step type:
charging at 14.2V shortly after starting, and then dropping back to 13.2V after 10 mins or so.
If that's the case it'll take a verrrry long time to recharge a flattened battery from 13.2V.
Following scenario is possible:
Your cranker's on its way out (reduced capacity due to ageing).
The recently added load of the isolator solenoid coincided with a cold morning and the increase of the battery's internal resistance prevented the starter motor from spinning up. Clutch start.
Drove for some time, but battery did hardly get any charge due to the reduced 13.2V.
Thus, same problem as before the following morning.
Charging the battery for 4 hours in the evening just left enough charge to start car the next morning (note that a nearly flat battery will take 24 hours to fully recharge. And if the battery is old, it takes a full charge to be able to supply the high cranking current).
What I suggest to do:
if it's a servicable battery,
check liquid electrolyte levels in all cells, top off with distilled water if needed.
Charge your cranking battery for 24 hours.
Take it to a battery
shop who can load
test it for you.
Or
test it yourself: turn the lights on with the motor off, and
check the battery voltage after 15 minutes lights still on.
While the lights are still on, you want to see at least 12V on the battery.
Don't forget to recharge after that.
If it fails, then it's shot, if not, you have to investigate further.
Hope that will reveal something.
Best regards, Peter
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