How can a healthy battery be dead?

Kevin Lynch

PCS Member
Simply put: re 69 MM; with kill switch on lower dash by drivers left knee;
The battery is 2 months old. The battery has a healthy 12 volts.
kill (or disconnect) switch in one position: The battery positive is hot, the incoming wire to the solenoid from the battery (which I'm guessing IS the kill switch) is hot, and the two smaller posts (to the dash switch??) are hot. One post is not hot.
Ok switch the button the other way: The positive terminal on the battery is DEAD. (Said battery still shows 12 volts). Again, how can a positive post on a new battery be dead?????????
There is continuity between the incoming wire from the positive terminal, and the two small posts....no matter what position the switch is in. How can a battery be dead? I won't sleep. Maybe someone can explain.
Thanks!
 
Kevin, someone will provide you with the correct engineering answer, but the "real" answer is: another curse of the collector car hobby.
An interesting topic would be: what is your worst collector car nightmare (a maximum of three submissions allowed per person).
Good luck.
 
I understand that somewhat but

Why, when I put a test light on the positive terminal, and ground the wire, does the battery show dead? If I take the battery totally out. of the car, the positive would still test ok. So how is the positive pole on a new battery show dead, when the volt meter shows 12.68 volts????
???
 
I'll replace the solenoid and see what happens

This mystery is actually not what I set out to work on today- I'm planning on replacing this solenoid - it used to click when you turned it on, now it doesn't.
 
Think quick on this one hot battery switch off. You put test light on positive post touch it to ground no light. Touch it to neg battery post you get light. You have interrupted the positive cable between the battery and the car. The trip comes in two different styles. A internal ground and a a external ground the internal ground would be hot from the post to the switch back to the other post when the switch is on. The external is one post the switch grounds it.
 
You are correct !!!

When putting the ground on the battery, and the test light on the positive, it lights. When you put the ground clip anywhere else, it won't. Thus this kill switch must be interrupting the ground. I'll just replace the solenoid tomorrow. I"ve get to get this car moving since I replaced the fuel pump. Thanks John
 
Just jump it. Put the hot wire on the other side. It then will be operating as any other car. You can fire it up check things out all you want. You will need a continues dutie switch. Like off a gulf cart
 
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