electrical problem

swimmer07 · #1 11-02-2009, 09:21 PM

hey guys and gals!
it's been awhile since the last time i was on here!
so i drove to Dallas, TX this past weekend for a concert and halfway back home (at 1:30 in the morning.. of course) me and my girl friend pulled over to switch drivers and to find a gas station so i turned the car off and when i did it shut off completely.. i mean like no dome light, no headlights.. it wouldn't turn on at all.. power locks wouldn't even work
i popped the hood to make sure the battery terminals were clean and not loose or anything. while i was under the hood, the dome light turned on cause i left the door open. got back in and tried to start the car... nothing and it went completely dead again. it did this a couple more times before the tow truck arrived.
when the tow truck got there he got in and was going to try to put the car into gear to pull it up on the platform, and of course the car turned on without a problem. we went and filled it up with gas and, again, had no problem with it.
when we were almost home the radio and dash lights shut off without warning and then popped right back on...
yesterday i didn't have any problems with it and then today i had pulled into my apartment complex and the radio did the same thing, and turned right back on.
not sure what's going on........ thought it might be the alternator but radio and lights weren't fading.. just turned off...
i have no experience with electrical systems at all.. so any help would be appreciated
thanks!!

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neisg1 · #2 11-03-2009, 12:30 AM

When the radio and dash lights shut off without warning and then popped right back on... was the engine affected, did it stop or stumble? When it’s dead does anything still have power?

swimmer07 · #3 11-03-2009, 02:47 AM

i'm pretty sure the engine didn't do anything when the radio went out
and when it was dead nothing had power

tonight i was sitting in the parking lot with the door opened and the dome light was on and it was fading in and out very lightly... never had noticed that before

Franklinnn · #4 11-03-2009, 04:03 AM

I would also check the main connection between the battery + and the fuse block.

swimmer07 · #5 11-03-2009, 11:28 AM

Where can I find that?

Franklinnn · #6 11-03-2009, 12:10 PM

Here is a picture of mine, the red wire goes from the battery positive.

If its not the battery, and it instantly shuts down it could be a shot alternator/battery but if the power gets to the main power distribution then all of the power would not shut off, so it has to be either the alt, battery or main power distributer or the wiring between or main grounds.

swimmer07 · #7 11-03-2009, 12:52 PM

Thanks for the info, I'll look at it when I get out of class

swimmer07 · #8 11-03-2009, 03:03 PM

So I looked at the fuze box connections and everything. The positive terminal was just a tad loose on the battery. But not enough to where I would have lost the connection. Everything else connected around the fuze box seemed to be connected right. Anyway I can check the main power distributor? Or is that a dumb question?...

darthroush · #9 11-03-2009, 05:59 PM

Have the battery tested, then the alternator if the battery is good. Just went through this whole damn problem on my car. Actually been a common thing as of late it seems. People on many forums keep having these weird electrical problems, and thus far, all of them including myself have been bad batteries. It's free, so just take it in and have it done.

Franklinnn · #10 11-04-2009, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darthroush

Have the battery tested, then the alternator if the battery is good. Just went through this whole damn problem on my car. Actually been a common thing as of late it seems. People on many forums keep having these weird electrical problems, and thus far, all of them including myself have been bad batteries. It's free, so just take it in and have it done.

I may be on that boat, time for a yellowtop!