Quote:
Originally Posted by GSB
I don't think you're going to find a short except internal to the battery or starter motor itself.
... I still think your battery is a major culprit.
...
It's not uncommon for the plates to temporarily contact each other in a compromised battery, creating an internal short that will most certainly drop the voltage and cranking capacity until the plates move again.
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This I tend to agree with you, and this seems the most plausible explanation that I've seen here yet. A small short in the battery itself would cause a slow drain in charge (which I may also be experiencing) and could intermittently cause the huge voltage drop to 8V while starting?
Additionally, it does seem that if I charge the battery myself, the problem goes away for a few days. Of course, I always charge the battery after this happens because I don't want it to happen again and be stranded either. At any rate, the car also cools and the battery rests once it is home, changing conditions. However, maybe I should stop the charging at home and see if this can happen on a cold start too?