I just picked up this sweet beast yesterday and I can't wait to floss it! Picked it up from a starving college kid for 4k! I can't believe it! Well I drove it all the way home (nearly 100 miles) and everything was cool. I parked it for about an hour and when I jumped in it to go to the car wash...it wouldn't start :uhoh:

The kid said the only time it did that is if you hit the bags when the engine is off, it would drain the selinoid/battery. Which I did, but only once. Figured it wasn't enough to drain it since It had an optima yellow top in it. I took it to have it tested and they said it was bad. Dropped 130 for a new battery...slapped it in. Same thing. Can anybody help? what's the next logical step? starter, alternator, coil?

1994 Chevy Caprice

108xxx miles
LT1
former NYC cop car

SUSPENSION:
3/4" parker valves
1/2" hydro line
Nitrogen set up
chrome 5 gallon tank
avs switch box
flush mounted dakota digital 4 way gauge
four ply bags
mini c notch

PAINT/BODY:
Shaved handles, trim, antenna, emblems, latches, etc.
Two-tone jet black and yamaha red paint

MISC:
rearend rebuild done in october,
Yellow top optima

Well, it sounds like you have a massive drain from somewhere and thats why the battery keeps dying. Go through the car and make sure nothing is left in the "ON" position to start with. The starter is a possibility, when the brushes in the starter go it act as if the battery is dead and struggle to turn the engine or not even turn the engine at all. Thats happened in my van and my truck. Depending what kind of driving the car was exposed to a starter's life can last from 100k to even up to 200+k. You say the car's an ex-cop car. If so, then the starter probably had a rough life because a police officer is constantly driving, then sitting, then driving again over and over. If the battery is good and has a charge, then the starter needs new brushes. Brushes are very inexpensive and aren't too hard to install if you know what your doing.

That car should actually have one of those sealed high-torque starters (they have the girly-high whine to them), I doubt he'd be able to replace the brushes on it.

Since it's a former police car, do some investigating to see if there's some police wiring somewhere that's shorting.

Thanks for the consideration. I'll be wrenching on it all day tomorrow...I'll update y'all!

That car should actually have one of those sealed high-torque starters
Sealed high torque? I've dealt with plenty of high torques before, but I don't think I've ever seen a sealed high torque. But then again, the newest high toque I've seen was from 1989... a little obsolete.

Yeah, these are very small starters, about 1/3 normal size, that use gear reduction (that's why they make the high pitch). They're probably not 'sealed' in the strictest sense, if there's a will there's a way, but they pretty much fall under the same category as the Delco/Delphi CS series alternators.

Okay, I understand now... so pretty much they're non-rebuildable compact high-rev starters geared differently.

Back on the road again! turned out it was just the wire that went to the starter. it was fried and melted nearly in half! Quick easy inexpensive fix. SWEEEET!

Cool, glad to hear it was such a simple fix. Dontja love it when that happens!

Back on the road again! turned out it was just the wire that went to the starter. it was fried and melted nearly in half! Quick easy inexpensive fix. SWEEEET!

That wire is a fusible link - double check to make sure you don't have any other electric trouble or you will be doing this again.