I don't know these kinds of things happen to me but:
The other day I installed some new component speakers and was pretty happy with them. The next day, my father took my car out for a spin to hear how the new speakers sound, and when he comes back he tells me that he thinks there's something wrong with my clutch, because the way he put it the car would shake and choke badly. I couldn't understand this, since I just changed the clutch 500 miles ago.

So I went to try and figure out what he was talking about, and it's a good thing I did it late at night. After about 5 minutes of driving, the car began to shake almost like when you don't shift correctly, but it keeps doing it. I also noticed that the alarm led was flashing at the same time. So I pull over, turn the car off and try to figure out what's going on. The only thing I can think of is that it has to do with the alarm. I turn thte car back on, and start driving again to see if it happens again. Right about after 5 minutes, the car decides to do the same exact thing again! So I turn the car off again. And wait a minute and start it up again, this tmie there's some strange rattling noise and rigtha round after 5 minutes the car would do it again.

The shaking I'm describing is almost like when a driver is learning how to drive manual and shifts incorrectly, except it is like a violent shaking. When I stopped at a stop light, the car just died out. But when i started it up again, the car seemed fine for the first five minutes.

I believe it has to do with teh alarm, because if it was a mechanical problem, it wouldn't happen after 5 minutes, it would just happen. Also, I have a Clifford Intelliguard 8000, which has this feature, I thin kit's called blackjax, where if you are driving along, and someone tries to hijack your car, you enable the feature and let them steal it, it will let the thief drive away,b ut after a short distance it will kill the ignition.

Any help is appreciated.


[Modified by nuport, 8:11 PM 1/15/2003]

 

Doesn't sound like a starter kill to me. Sounds more like a clutch problem. Why don't you disable the alarm and try driving.

 

My pops thinks it's a clutch problem too... but the weird thing is it doesn't start happening until like 5 minutes after driving

 

can you disable "blackjax"? I'd try that and see if it still happens. If you can't just disable that feature, then I would suggest disabling the whole alarm.
Also, have you checked Clifford's site for any known issues with this model?
Hope ya get it fixed man Car trouble sucks

 

Hmm, it must be the alarm set timing to 5 minutes when the problem occur.
Go back to the people that install it. How long did you had the alarm for?

 

I still don't see how the alarm could cause THAT, but if you can eliminate it as a possibility then go for it. Disconnect the whole alarm. Mine has a starter kill too, but it only gets activated if the alarm is armed and someone starts it, hence pulling the alarm fuse with the alarm disarmed should allow you to completely take the alarm out of the loop. Perhaps it simply takes around 5mins for your clutch to heat up and begin chattering. Hard to say what the problem is w/o seeing it firsthand, but it most definately does not sound like an alarm "feature" going haywire.

 

hey I got it fixed
the problem was that it the negative battery terminal was loose... the alarm detected it and that's how I got the 10 flashes from the alarm led... in the manual it says power tampering
tightened it up and it's fine now

 

OK so your battery connection is good enough to start the car...and the alarm is fine...but exactly 5 mins later your alarm what...cuts fuel? I'd get a new alarm...quickly.

 

I didn't screw in the battery terminal when I was last working on my car.... so there was a connection but when the car was in motion and the hit bumps or things I don't think it was getting juice... the reason it started after 5 mins is beyond me