Is this a battery issue?

[phunka]

Twice now in less than a week, I've had to jump the van to start.

I go to start it, and it sounds as though it's about to turn over, but just doesn't. I try again, and it seems even less likely to turn over, and each try results in the battery draining more and more. Until it's barely a 'chug'. Jumping it seems to start it up fine right away.

I also have a tendency to pump the gas pedal with my big north american feet as I jump into the seat, could I be flooding it?

[marsgal42]

Pumping the accelerator makes no difference. Use correct starting procedure and a healthy Delica will start every time.

Either your battery is not holding a charge, or it is not being charged in the first place. How old is the battery? Is it charging?

I got one winter out of the batteries Gumdrop came from Japan with. The alternator also packed up that winter, which didn't do the batteries any good. All the classic symptoms, though I never needed a jump: alternator light reticent to go out at startup, laboured cranking. Even after the alternator was fixed (Japanoid), the starter still sounded like a 1940s 6 volt starter. With a new set of batteries (Polar Battery, who are familiar with Delicas and their battery requirements) Gumdrop cranks like a modern vehicle.

...laura

[FalcoColumbarius]

Have you installed a battery(s) since you got the van or is/are this/these the original(s)?

When you check the battery with your volt meter and it reads as 12 volts, that's all fine but volts only measure the current, but not the amperage the current is delivering. Amperage is where it's at, and you need around 600 of 'em to turn your power plant over. The older batteries tend to lose their amperage over the years. A gasoline engine has a compression ratio of around 8:1 or 10:1. The 4D56T compression ratio is 21:1, being a diesel.

If you are in the Lower Mainland area then there is "Polar Batteries" on Boundary.

I hope this helps... smiles.

Falco.

[phunka]

I can only assume, but judging from the japanese writing the battery is an original. And I don't have a problem getting a new one, if needed. I'm just hoping that will be all for the starting issues.

I want to eventually have some electrical upgrades done. I'd like to have some auxiliary outputs towards the rear, for use when camping,for things like charging up my gps unit,and maybe small speakers.I'd also like to have a solar panel, there starting to get pretty affordable.

So what would be the best battery to get knowing I'll be doing stuff like that down the road? deep-cycle? gel-cell? and I should probably be getting two I'm guessing, but haven't done any calculations

[phunka]

http://www.ccis.com/home/mnemeth/12volt/12volt.htm

came across this, while doing some reading...thought i'd link to it, i thought it was a good read.

[bosc]

I went for the optima Yellow top battery after having multiple power issues.

had a similar situation as to what you are describing that needed glow plug replacement. I would look at your battery first.

http://www.optimabatteries.com/optima_p ... lowtop.php

this battery lets you draw 10amps of power for 350 minutes before discharged. twice the price but will last easily twice as long.

[FalcoColumbarius]

Nice link, Phunka, I bookmarked it.

I have a winter package duel battery system set up in parallel. When I went to Polar Batteries I picked up two 550 CCA Deep Cycle batteries by "Globelite" ($150.00 for the pair). The reason I got Globelites is because the last battery I got was a Globelite and it lasted me ten years & four vans. I was very impressed with it. When a few of us went camping in December we found ourselves on the west face of Powder Mountain at just under 900 metres, elevation. It was 15 degrees below zero inside the Starwagon (my water container was a solid block of ice) and an estimated -25* outside with the wind chill factor. I hadn't properly prepared for this kind of cold (wrong kind of sleeping bag for that elevation & time of year). At 01:22hrs I woke up with pain in my elbows & knees and thought that this was not good. Before retiring I had anticipated this happening; so I had set the heat full with the fans on and the throttle set to roughly 1100 RPM. I fumbled around for my remote (****, it was cold!) and engaged the start switch. This I thought would be a good test of the batteries and to be quite honest with you I was quite concerned. First tick; three seconds followed by the second tick; then the engine started up like it was a balmy Summer's day and before too long the van was warm.

Did I mention that I am really impressed with my Globelite batteries?

If this sounds like an ad for Globelite Batteries, it is; and I am not getting paid for it. Credit where credit is due. Your battery(s) is/are important ~ don't cheap out. By the way ~ I have an $80.00 400 watt power inverter (The Source in Cap. Mall) that runs directly off the battery system to power my laptop (GPS system) and the USB hub that powers the GPS bug. Happy trails!

Falco.

[Luna-Sea]

Either your battery is not holding a charge, or it is not being charged in the first place. How old is the battery? Is it charging?

yes yes

A load test on the battery will tell you if its cashed like johnny or not.

right on!

[phunka]

Awesome, thanks for the feedback guys, thinking I'll go to Polar batteries after work tomorrow.

Falco, thats exactly what kind of dependability I'm looking for. I know it wasn't an ad, but I'm sold!
Do you bother with any kind of gauge telling you what kind of charge you have? I have a growing gauge fetish

[marsgal42]

Do you bother with any kind of gauge telling you what kind of charge you have? I have a growing gauge fetish

A voltmeter will tell you the approximate state of charge. A hydrometer is definitive.

Unless the charging system is defective, all modern vehicles will keep their batteries fully charged in normal driving.

...laura

[mararmeisto]

Do you bother with any kind of gauge telling you what kind of charge you have? I have a growing gauge fetish

A voltmeter will tell you the approximate state of charge. A hydrometer is definitive.

Unless the charging system is defective, all modern vehicles will keep their batteries fully charged in normal driving.

...laura

Actually, a voltmeter will only indicate the voltage with no-load, and while it may indicate nearly 12VDC, as soon as a current draw is a part of the equation, things could be quite different. I'll echo the "hydrometer" comment, but it already sounds like your battery is not getting charged correctly.

And judging by your not having mentioned the extra lights on the dash, it doesn't sound like your alternator is giving you any troubles.

[phunka]

Yea I should have mentioned, I checked the alt. with my high beams, fog lights, stereo and nothing seemed to be dimming..so i just assumed that it was alright, and it was teh battery.

[Luna-Sea]

Hey,
Great link!
Very informative.
I was taught that a quality battery is good and heavy and that would go along with the links description of the
various types of plate construction in the batteries.

It explains well the difference between "starting" and "deep cycle" very nicely.

To add:
Good clean terminal posts and snug connections are good too.
use 2 wrenches when tightening so you don't put excessive leverage on the battery posts
themselves. (and try not to ground out the battery with your wrenches either unless you
are trying to find a coffee substitute,safety glasses are good )

Right on!

[marsgal42]

And judging by your not having mentioned the extra lights on the dash, it doesn't sound like your alternator is giving you any troubles.

When I was having my alternator woes with Gumdrop in early '08 the alternator light did go out after blipping the engine. However, it was only just barely out, and was not charging the batteries properly. Toward the end it started flickering at idle, then started coming on at anything below 1500 RPM. I drove to Japanoid in 1st gear.

To measure battery voltage while I was troubleshooting this I wired up a cigarette lighter plug to a volt meter. This is switched accessory power, so I couldn't see the battery voltage while the engine was cranking, but could see it at all other times. A healthy battery and electrical system will regulate voltage under load. A dying one won't. The no-load voltage may be fine, but it drops like a stone when you put any load on it.

I actually keep a supply of moribund batteries for testing electronics. Built-in current limiting if you screw up.

...laura

[phunka]

Just got back from a trip to Costco, and noticed they carry a few different batteries..

Kirkland brand
685 CCA/95 amp hours = $72.99

Optima Bluetop
$189.99

Having trouble finding local pricing online for the Optima, does anyone know if that is a good price? An american website lists them around that same price point in US funds, so I'm thinking its a decent buy.

****

I've also been reading that hooking up two 6v 'golf cart' batteries have a longer discharge time than 2 12v's. I am thinking that would help with size/weight, you know being smaller and all. Any thoughts on this?