Hi there, my first time posting to this forum...I am desperate and hope someone here might have some answers!!! Sorry if my post is a tad long but I feel it's necessary to give the whole story and avoid lots of questions!

I've owned my 65 Dart for 14 years. When I bought her, there was a modern stereo (that the previous owner had installed) and I decided to replace it with something even more modern about 3 years ago. I took the Dart to a stereo shop that had some good Yelp reviews from other vintage car owners. Several months later, I had a dead battery so I took her in to my mechanic and he was puzzled since the battery had been replaced within the year. He took the battery out and put a new one in. a Few months later (about 7-8 months), it happened again. I brought her back in again and he told me that the previous battery was totally fine - he charged it up and put it in another car, so he really couldn't figure out what was wrong. the one thing he thought *may* be wrong was the wiring from the stereo - so he moved the wire from the battery to the ignition, in the chance that the stereo was drawing off the battery when the car wasn't on. Seemed weird to me, but I thought it might solve the problem. Nope - happened again a couple months later.

My regular mechanic moved his shop about an hour away so in October I took it to another mechanic my friends recommended. This guy's been working on cars for 50 years so I figured HE'D be able to figure it out! he couldn't find anything obvious but thought the sensitivity of my stop light switch might be a factor so he adjusted that. 2 months later (right before Christmas), battery died again. This time, he disconnected the stereo and I planned on leaving it that way for at least 6 months to see if that was indeed the culprit. I didn't have a chance to do that because my battery died again yesterday, almost exactly one month after my last new battery.

I have had the diodes in the alternator checked (the alternator is 3 years old), load test on the battery (fine), terminals - fine, cables - fine, fuses - fine.

What seems to be the pattern is: I get a new battery, anywhere from 3-6 months the car will start right up (after a little revving on the gas), then one day I will notice that it's a bit sluggish on the start, then the next time it won't start at all (I get the "click click click click click") - but all the lights and stereo will come on.

People ask me "how often do you drive it?" I drive it about twice a week, give or take. the same amount I've always driven it. No, I'm not
accidentally leaving any lights on.

I've also taken the car to a friend of a friend, who's been a mechanic (mostly vintage racecars) for 30 years and who my friend describes as one of the best in all of California! he couldn't find anything amiss, except a slightly bad ground on the negative battery cable. I texted him today and he said he asked some of his mopar friends and they all are thinking it's the alternator. he said I need a current output test on the alternator.

sooooo (if anyone's still reading this!) could it be the alternator? even though I got it brand new right before these problems started happening? could it really have NOTHING to do with the stereo? I'm hoping someone here will read this and a lightbulb AH HA will go off!

thank you in advance for reading and if there's any questions please ask. I really appreciate it!

Dina
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First, Welcome! You came to the right place.

Second, be prepared because learning is 'encouraged' here, to put it mildly. The more YOU learn, the better care YOU can take of your Dart and the better it will serve you. You already have a long-term relationship, so it's worth it.

There has been a lot of taking it here and there to someone who knows this or that, but so far you still have the same problem....so go buy a multi-meter (even a cheap one will get you started), learn how to use it, and get some dirt under your nails - the needed tests aren't too hard to perform.

Use the search function here and you will find loads of information on problems like this that will get you going in the right direction.

Soapbox over, I would say it's a charging issue more than a key-off parasitic drain since you say it goes 'weak' right before it won't start. The stock charging system on these cars could barely keep the lights lit at idle, let alone feed a 'more modern' stereo (specs? likely amp-hungry) in traffic (what is your commute?).

You are looking at upgrades to the charging system including ammeter wiring (Do You Smell What The Dart Is Cookin'?), new regulator, high(er) output alternator, relays for the lights and other major loads (like your stereo), etc. These need to be done by someone who understands the whys and hows, not just the Guesswork Garage. I know lots of people who have 'fixed cars' for 30 years and still have no idea how to use diagnostic equipment. Rats, there's that soapbox again...

Anyway, stick with it! You'll be pleasantly surprised, and rewarded.

_________________
O==\=/==O

"A mechanic is Somebody."
- Jim Preston

One item that might be the cause but will be hard to discover by visual inspection are the bettery cables. Battery cables can fail internally and lead to poor or no connection between th ebattery and the starter motor, ground, and alternator. If the battery checks out fine and the alternator checks out fine, then the problem is in the wiring on the car. Either there is a short somewhere or there is a break in the charging circuit or there is a fault in the battery cable.

If you only drive the car twice a week and it takes 3-6 months for the battery to go flat, then it sounds to me like you have a problem in the charging system. However, this is just a guess based on the symptoms you have described and not based on any kind of hands-on diagnosis.

Since this problem started after a stereo store (NOT the most technically savvy about old cars people in my experience) intalled a stereo, I strongly suspect that that installation disturbed something. I woudl start by uninstalling whatever stereo is installed in the Dart and trying to put the wiring back to stock condition.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

I would strongly suggest you get a decent voltmeter and start taking readings and logging them on the battery, and on the charging voltage while running. This will help run down anbout any issue like this and is the best tool in the box for electrical issue.

Let us know if you are willing and we can guide you along to hopefuly solve this.

Before you start messing with trying to rewire car to factory specs get a factory manual from here
http://www.autobooksbishko.com/search.c ... hop+Manual
they are available at the bottom of the page on CD.
Don't get the Haynes or Chilten's manuals.
I have bought many from them.

Dave

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86 Miser 170,000+
2 1/4" exhaust
Holley 1920 #55
HEI MSD BLaster 2
17.8 mpg

I would also lean toward bad/corroded battery cables and/or terminals. If you do not have a separate ground wire from the engine block to the body, that could also be a problem.

All the best,

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Put an ammeter on the cable when everything is supposed to be off and see if there's a drain.

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

thanks to everyone for your responses!!!

I will try to address everything here....sorry if I miss something.

- the battery cables. I'm quite positive those aren't the cause. they have been replaced (not long ago) and seem to be in good order. Could be wrong. but don't think that's it.

-yes a meter has been put on the battery after the neg terminal has been removed and there is NO draw on the battery.

-I have an original Dart manual that I bought on eBay shortly after I bought the car.

-I would love to buy a volt meter but unfortunately storage/space is an issue. I have no garage/storage and as it is ALL of my tools/supplies/car cover/rotary buffer etc are stored in my trunk. I don't want MORE junk in my trunk

I really need to take it to an electrical person which I hope to next week. Just thought someone here has experienced this same issue and had some instant advice

I'm not so sure it's the stereo itself, since it was disconnected a month ago and the battery just died again.

I will somehow get to the bottom of this.

thanks all!

Thanks to you as well. That's good info, which is what we need if we are to help.
Long-distance invisible diagnostics are not to be trusted - that's why we need your eyes and hands to help us zero in.
We can throw out ideas, but without test results you may as well do the same because they may not apply in your case (as proven).

Don't give up on the meter due to space - it's smaller than your hand.

Slant on!

_________________
O==\=/==O

"A mechanic is Somebody."
- Jim Preston

Thanks for the tip re: the meter!!! I may just buy one anyway!!!!

The freebie at Harbor Freight will work..........

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Hi everyone - thanks again for your responses. I have an update on my ongoing dead battery situation and thought I'd share.....So yesterday I brought my Dart into an Electrical shop that a friend highly recommended....he swore to me that they WOULD find the cause of this mystery! A few hours after dropping my car off the guy called me and told me he was almost positive the instigator of my problems hasn't been the stereo, or the wiring, or the alternator - but the batteries themselves. More specifically - the brand of battery. For about the first 10 years I had the car I had your run of the mill Kragen battery in there - which I think I only had to replace once. My mechanic was like "no no no don't use Kragen" and started putting in Interstate batteries, which I assumed were top of the line. this was right around the same time I had the alternator replaced AND the stereo replaced so it was just a perfect storm of lots of new things happening at once and making it hard to pinpoint the source of the drain. the second mechanic I started going to last year also uses those same batteries, so again I assumed they were good. the electrical guy said he experienced the same problem as me with his 68 Firebird - he went through 2-3 of these batteries and several of his customers had problems too. His explanation as to why this is going on is that he feels the quality of parts and batteries specifically has really gone down hill, with much now being made in China or Mexico. He ended up installing a new battery (from a local company) that is made in the good ol USA and he assures me I should have no further problems. he even hooked the stereo back up properly.

Fingers crossed this is indeed the culprit!!!!!!!!!!!