Jim
Please excuse my eager attempt to "jump in" and contribute as a former
owner
of a automotive servicenter.
My suggestions below are in order as if I were troubleshooting your 57
Chevrolet.
You will need a direct current (dc) multimeter (measures amperes,
resistance, and voltage).
Read about Ohm's Law.
Be prepared to loosen either battery cable with a 1/2 inch /13 mm wrench
and/or battery pliers/vise grips for top post cable connection, a battery
wire brush / or plumbers 5/8 and 3/4 circular wire brushes.
Check alternator drive belt for 1/2 inch deflection.
Baking Soda or Bicarbonate of soda mixed with water to neutralize/clean
the
battery cable ends.
You may have:
1) An excessive parasitic/static current draw exceeding 50 to 100
milliamps
dc.
i.e. door left ajar, mercury light switch on either the hood or trunk
lid, hydraulic brake light switch to name a few.
For future reference, disconnect the battery if you anticipate being
away more than a week to week and a half.
Once you get a good key-off static/parasitic dc ammeter reading of
for
example: 25 to 35 milliamperes, You can
then calculate the amp/minutes Reserve Capacity and compare to the
week
to week and a half limitation of allowing
your battery to remain connected without disconnection.
2) A bad battery.
After you slow or trickle charge the battery, let the battery "cool
down" and "bleed off" itself for any surface
charge for about 72 hours. Then "load" test the battery per
specification.
3) A bad starter.
Check for any bad, corroded, or loose connection. i.e. Check with a
dc multimeter for a voltage drop no more
than .50 volt dc from the positive battery terminal to the battery
side of the solenoid. Likewise, from the Negative
battery terminal to preferably the engine. If you have a voltage
drop
exceeding 0.50 volts dc while cranking across
either cable, you probably have a high resistance, loose connection,
corroded terminal(s), cold solder joint from
improper soldering, etc. Voltage and Resistance are directly
pro****tional,
4) A bad alternator.
i.e. a bad diode trio, a bad diode in the diode bridge rectifier,
I may be correct in stating your Chevy has a dc ammeter dash gauge
which should read a little negative to centered
at a idle to a positive charge a fast idle with the headlights and
heater blower on. This verifies whether a alternator
will maintain the charge to the battery. Remember, the ammeter only
indicates what is left over to charge/maintain
the battery. A generator indicates similar readings. Charging
voltage
should be in a range from 13.2 up 14.6 volts
dc.
"Jim Beaver" <jumblejim@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:kmMtj.12163$R84.1997@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> I've got a '57 Chevy. It's run great -- only 5,200 miles on a new crate
> engine, everything else new. New battery (well, 5,200 miles on it).
> Started fine every time for months. THEN I was detained out of town
> unexpectedly for about three months on a job and wasn't able to start
the
> car. Battery was left connected.
>
> Now, when I got back, I expected a dead battery, and sure enough, the
car
> wouldn't start. Jumping it worked fine, many times. But driving it
would
> not apparently charge it up, as it would never start without a jump. So
I
> hooked up a charger to put a slow charge on it, figuring I've got a VERY
> low battery. But the charger meter indicates there's a full charge in
the
> battery. But still it won't start without a jump.
>
> Keep in mind that it worked fine, every time -- battery, starter,
> recharging system, engine, everything. The ONLY thing that's happened
is
> three months sitting unused.
>
> So IF the battery has a full charge and nothing has been changed in
regard
> to all the like-new equipment that worked fine before, what am I
missing?
> It seems to me that every part of the equation is in working condition,
> yet with no change other than time, it's suddenly not working. And that
> doesn't make sense to an amateur like me. Any ideas?
>
> Jim Beaver
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