1988 Club Wagon Ambulance, 7.3L IDI Diesel

With the batteries fully charged and the voltage guage showing 13 volts, when I turn the key to engage the starter, all power is lost, voltage guage drops down to zero, lights go out, and there is no action at the starter. Just had the starter overhauled and brushes replaced last year. This has never happened before, although it has seemed like the starter pulls on the batteries a little harder than it should.

Anyone know what this could be? Is it some connection grounding out the whole system? Im gonna check the connections to and around the starter as soon as I can, Saturday probably. But if anyone has an idea where I should start looking, or had a similar problem any input would be appreciated.

-Mike

Sounds like a loose/dirty connection somewhere. I'd check the connections at the battery, starter, and engine ground..
Also,, how do the cables look?.. Corrosion will get quite a ways back under the insulation and eventually start to cause problems. It's also possible that your ignition switch is going bad or (maybe less likely) slipping on the steering column when you turn the key. Does it seem like you have to turn the key further than usual to start the van?.

Sorry I can't offer much more than that. I'm not very good with electrical problems.

Go get a battery post cleaner and clean your posts and cables. If it feels like your starter is pulling too hard on the battery, it is, meaning that the connection is not what it should be. If the top of your battery is dirty, you can get a mixture of baking soda and water and clean it with a tooth brush. The baking soda with neutralize the acid and clean your battery safely.

It sounds like when your old battery has dropped a cell or two, and then cold cranking amps are something like zero... a battery will read twelve volts, but have no cranking power.

Test your battery at one of those shops... good luck.

Corey