Posted by Hogryder on October 20, 2000 at 23:19:43:
In Reply to: Heavy start/battery problem?! posted by Eldar on October 20, 2000 at 22:05:58:
Could be battery. Check the fluid levels in your battery. If one or more cells are low fill them with distilled water and charge the battery.
The problem with the headlight draining the battery sounds like you have a charging problem. Could be the generator/alternator (I don't know which one the Savage has), but it could be something much simpler.
Clean your battery terminals and the wires. A wire brush works well for this. If your battery terminals are corroded, the battery won't discharge properly (weak spark & poor starting) and it also won't charge properly. The charging system is a low voltage system and can't push the charge across the poor connection between the battery and the cable.
Before you buy anything, fill the battery and clean the terminals. If that doesn't solve the problem, reach for your wallet.