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1979 Chevrolet El Camino starter and electrical problem

Tiny
DAVIDKCHANEY
  • MEMBER
  • 1979 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 143 MILES
So last week one morning I went out to my car to go to work and the battery was too low I didnt think much of it and hooked up jumper cables to it and my moms car when I cranked it the starter made this weird whining sound and has been doing it ever since and then today it started to feel like it was losing spark randomly as if the battery was not charging correctly and then when I stopped to get gas it would not start again and I noticed some smoke coming up from around the starter that smelled almost like burning plastic and when trying to jump it again it would never seem to have enough to turn the starter over correctly. Do you have any idea what the problem is? The battery is less than 3 months old and so is the alternater. Im really lost any help would be great.
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Wednesday, March 30th, 2011 AT 4:37 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,916 POSTS
Sounds like the starter is shorted or one pair of brushes is worn to the point of not making contact. A clue is the dome light will get very dim if the starter is drawing excessive current. You might find the battery cables getting hot too.

To double-check your generator, measure the battery voltage while the engine is running. It must be between 13.75 and 14.75 volts. If it is low, it will not fully charge the battery.
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Wednesday, March 30th, 2011 AT 4:55 PM

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