Okay, I posted here a couple weeks ago about my car not starting and engine not even tryin to turn over, but now I have installed a new starter and it turns out that was my problem, got it running smooth and better than ever for the most part of one day, but after driving around and taking it easy throughout the day, all of a sudden my gas meter just started dropping an my lights started getting dimmer and dimmer, and my car just completely died, While I was driving. So I pulled over and tried to start it back up but I turn the key once (to accessory) and all the "problem" lights came on very dim, but when I try to start it by turning the key, EVERYTHING stops, my engine clicks once then gives up, lights go away, emergency flashers stop, and everything is just dead until I let go of the key. So I had someone give me a jump, charged it up a bit, then tried to head home an side streets, but I only got about 100 yards or so and my car just dies again, engine just stops and the lights go extremely dim. Luckily my friend was following me, so we charged it up again for about ten minutes and tried to make it the last two miles or so home, and on the way home I didn't have one problem, all the lights were as bright as they should be and everything seemed fine. But when I got home, I turned it off then tried to start it again, and it tried to turn over like once but everything went dim again and it wouldn't start again. So I'm thinking something is draining the battery, cuz it's a new battery, and I've never heard of it but my friend told me about something called "starter death", where if you install the starter slightly wrong, the starter will completely drain the battery. Also something I noticed the whole time I was driving it yesterday, my "problem" dash lights were on the whole time my car was on, driving and all, and they're supposed to go away once the car is started (unless something is wrong, but even then they only come on one at a time). Also my mom's tweaker ex-boyfriend was helping me one day before I got the new starter and he ripped off the fuse and some wire that go directly to the battery and are located right next to the battery, and just put what wire was left directly on to the battery post, which I think might have something to do with it. Sorry for the long post, but thanks for all the help I can get. :puzzled:

Is your alternator charging the battery ? To check this you use a multimeter and check the voltage at the battery with the engine running it should be over 13 volts closer to 14 volts is better if it is less then that check the connections on the alternator and starter first.

+1. also check to see what fuse was removed since this might also be the reason for the drain. but alternator sounds right. and starter death is something that i haven't heard of in many years. i think that stopped after the 80's muscle car war when everything went to electronic instead of points.

Most probably your alternator is not working or electrical wirings of the car, when the starter was changed, is not tighten enough, sometimes the little details are taken for granted that gives us headaches.

sounds like the main terminal next to the battery [and volt reg]

it gets loose, happened to me and I freaked

Okay, first of all, when I check the alternator with the voltmeter what should it read? And for the doctors response, how do I know if it's loose and how do I tighten it? And for qtrmile, what part of the starter could be loose, the bolts that hold the wires on, or the bolts that hold the starter itself on? thanks for all of the suggestions.

check fusible links if any fitted-I've often had that problem on other vehicles of such age. make sure that the alternator is good-check brushes and bearings anyway. At this age they often fail.

http://www.volvo-forums.com/t20268-87-240-...ttery-drain.htm