1988 Chrysler 5th Avenue 88 5th Ave won't run on its own

1988 CHRYSLER FIFTH AVENUE
111,000 MILES • V8 • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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HUFFMAN408
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I just got to my 88 5th ave after having it sit for about a year. The battery was dead so I jumped it. It fired right up after cranking it for a few seconds. It runs very well. As soon as I disconnected the jumper cables it stalled out. The battery and alternator were almost brand new when I bought the car. Any ideas?
Apr 5, 2010 at 6:28 PM
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CARADIODOC
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The car can not be fixed. I suggest you sell it to me!! :)

That was my dream car for many years.

It sounds like you just need to replace the battery or charge it at a slow rate for a couple of hours. When the battery is totally dead, it will need to have voltage applied to it for a while before the acid inside becomes electrically conductive. Until that happens, the battery won't start to recharge.

Once it runs on it's own, measure the voltage across the battery terminals. A cheap digital voltmeter will work fine. You must have between 13.75 and 14.75 volts while the engine is running. If it stays around 12.0 - 12.6 volts, the alternator is not working. This is by far the world's most reliable and easy-to-troubleshoot charging system.

caradiodoc
Apr 5, 2010 at 6:45 PM