Stalls after start, burning rubber like smell

[spparkgrls]

Hello-
My 1996 GA has been stalling after the initial start lately. (It runs for a second or two and then quits). The battery light comes on and then it will start again but it acts like it is going to quit and the dash lights get dim. Yesterday after failing to start the first time it did start the second time but then I smelled like a burning rubber smell for about 30 seconds or so.. then the smell went away. It also does this more after being driven for a while. Cold start it usually always starts right away on the first try.

I just had a new battery put in about 4 days ago. I thought the stalling was due to the battery but obviously not. The car also had a new alternator installed about a year and a half ago. Otherwise, the car seems to be running fine. Thanks for any info or advice you can give.

[rixGAphx]

It does, indeed, seem like a battery problem.
Your previous battery might have been weakened/dies by bad (dirty, loose, or corroded) battery cables.

This is a common fault of the GA's, so service the cables:

GA Batt Cable Service

Battery cable ends must be clean and tight and shiny bright.
Even the best new alternator and the best new battery can't provide adequate power (volts and amps) if the connections are so dirty/loose/corroded that power doesn't flow thru them.
Bad connections will also kill both the alternator and the battery very quickly.

So, inspect/clean/repair/replace/tighten both ends of both cables to provide maximum flow of electrical power.
Disconnect cables: NEG (Black) first, then POS (Red).
Cut the molded rubber boots from the battery connections, since water seeps thru them and corrodes the copper wire into useless powder (This step is VERY importatnt. You can't just look at the outside and think, "They look alright".)

Dissolve corrosion with a paste solution of baking soda and water, applied with an old toothbrush.
Scrape/sand/wire-brush all the metal (cable ends and batt terminals) to shiny metal.

Pay attanetion to the Body Ground: This is a smaller Black (Neg) wire that comes from the battery terminal and attaches directly to the bodywork, somewhere near the left (Driver) side hood edge. This is a source of rust, and must be kept clean and shiny.

Reconnect cables: POS (Red) first, then NEG (Black); this is OPPOSITE of the way you disconnected them.
Replace the cut-off boots with new aftermarket slip-on rubber boots to protect against short-circuiting while allowing for future inspection and service.

Weird things happen to GA's when the cables aren't in pristine shape.
It's necessary and cheap (or even free!), so there's no downside to servicing them immediately.

Hope this helps, and Good luck!
-Rick

[spparkgrls]

I will give that a try. Thanks so much for the help.