Low Charging Voltage on 308’s

Maybe this is common knowledge, but somebody might benefit from a recent problem I had with my ’83 308. The charging voltage to the battery should be around 13.5. If it’s less than that, and your battery and alternator are OK, and the various connections are clean, you will want to look at the cable connectors themselves. These older cars used crimped connectors on the alternator to starter to battery cables. Over time, corrosion in the crimp can cause enough resistance to drop voltage to the point where your battery dies. Eventually Ferrari switched to solder-filled connectors. You don’t need to get new cables; the old crimped connectors can be replaced and soldered.

Symptoms could include a weak battery, windows that are even slower than usual, and a battery tender that charges for a long time. With a properly operating system you should be able to start your car, drive for a half hour or so, connect the tender, and have it switch out of charging mode almost immediately.