Linda. Check the battery first by replacing it with a good one you borrow. If the problem still appears, you look elsewhere. Check the amp meter during flight. It is ok for the first 5 minutes to show more than 5 amps. After that , a slow charge rate of 1 to 3 amps is normal. Less is better. If all that checks out o.k., check the starter. Simply watch the voltage go down while cranking. If it goes down more below 8 volts - the starter might draw too much. Check /clean the starter then.
Simply said. check the 3 parts that make out the system separately. starter, alternator/regulator, battery. Hartmut From: Linda Abrams Sent: Friday, June 18, 2010 9:58 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [ercoupe-tech] Re: Battery capacity for cold starts Hartmut wrote: "Of course one has to verify first that the battery itself is good. I am afraid you mechanic wants to fix a problem from the wrong side at your costs." Hartmut: what would be the order of checking/fixing that you would recommend "from the [correct] side?" Gordon: It's not a new battery; it is ~ 2.5 yrs. old. Linda N3437H (Sky Sprite) L.A. 1a. Re: Battery capacity for cold starts Posted by: "Gordon Smith" [email protected] gandesmith Date: Thu Jun 17, 2010 9:26 pm ((PDT)) If you have trouble starting your Coupe in California with a new battery and have problems starting, I would check the grounding very well. There is nothing any worse than a cough and backfire through the carb, and not have enough battery to keep the engine turning and suck it up into the engine. I have seen too many people over prime, and have the engine flood and backfire. A good strong battery may alow you to keep that engine turning and start quickly, in that situation.
