ok me and my dad are at a loss. we tested the battery and it was good, we tested the wire coming from the alternator to the battery and the battery is getting power from the alternator, but the car only will run on a new battery for about 40-50 miles then the signals get slow, radio dies and then the car dies and wont start. im guessing something is draining the battery more than the alternator can keep up, so can anyone give me some things i should check and how i should check them? thanks justin
Check the positive battery cable where it goes under the pass side header. Many times they get the insulation melted by the header and ground out there.
This usually results in an intermittant problem though when under acceleration because the motor is torquing over against the cable. It really sounds to me like you may have a weak alternator output. Have you confirmed an actual voltage reading coming out of the alternator while driving the car. Also check to make sure the tensioner is keeping good tension on the serpentine belt. Slippage there could cause this problem. If the belt has been replaced recently it may be the wrong size (too long) also.
good luck
ok guys i got some more information for ya. it seems that the power drain is only when the car is being driven. after the dies if you let it sit for a period of time it will well star and run again for shorter period of time, but it will run?? does this help narrow it down any?
CHECK THE POSITIVE CABLE FOR GROUND OUT, CHECK ALL THE GROUND WIRES, I INSTALLED A NEW GROUND STRAP FROM KIRBAN AND CLEANED ALL THE CONNECTIONS. AFTER INSTALLING AN AMMETER SAW LOTS OF DRAW AFTER APPLYING BRAKES (POWERMASTER UNIT DREW ALOT) AND A/C. ALSO STOCK FUEL PUMP TAKES ALOT OF JUICE. INSTALLED REBUILT 140 AMP ALTERNATOR, NAPA XDT 800 BATTERY (850CCA) AND NEW CASPER ELECTRIC WIRE TO FUEL PUMP, BEEN DRIVING THE CAR FOR 3 MONTHS, NO MORE DRAW, RUNS LIKE NEW!