I have had two occurrences of my car just shutting off in the past couple of weeks. It not only shuts off, but I loose total power to my car (clock is reset, radio reset). Both times I was sitting at stop lights and all of a sudden the car goes dead. The car starts up fine afterwards. (I hoping this does not happen on the highway!)

Modifications / Recent items
- I have installed a cassette deck radio (Acura OEM) so I can use my iPod.
- My car is stripped in the back and there are those wires back there that I constantly put stuff on (probably not the best idea)
- I checked my battery connections. They are fine.

Anyone have any ideas as to diagnosing the problem?

- Adam

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rs &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have had two occurrences of my car just shutting off in the past couple of weeks. It not only shuts off, but I loose total power to my car (clock is reset, radio reset). Both times I was sitting at stop lights and all of a sudden the car goes dead. The car starts up fine afterwards. (I hoping this does not happen on the highway!)

Modifications / Recent items
- I have installed a cassette deck radio (Acura OEM) so I can use my iPod.
- My car is stripped in the back and there are those wires back there that I constantly put stuff on (probably not the best idea)
- I checked my battery connections. They are fine.

Anyone have any ideas as to diagnosing the problem?

- Adam
</TD></TR></TABLE>

One time I had something like this, it ended up being a short near the battery .

I would start wiggling wires, maybe not while the car is running, but with the parking lights on. See what you move that makes the power go off. Start at the battery, check the ground straps and the fuse box. If you wiggle something and the power goes out, you found the culprit. With the parking lights on, you should be able to see or hear a small spark if something is loose.

 

Thanks - I'll give that a try tonight.

 

Adam you have an ITR again? What happened to the cadavalier?

Damn.. long time since I've seen your name on here.

 

maybe your battery or alternator...Check alternator by leaving the car idle and yank out the positive side of the battery..if it dies, alternator problem..goodluck

 

Hey Dave,

While I was in NYC the R was in my sister's garage. The "cadavalier" was my NYC beater. Now my girl drives it. Also, I bought a house here in Tampa - close to the house you stopped by once. I need to get back in the car thing again. Let me know what's going on in the area. My tranny needs to have some new sycros, but beside's that the R is doing good.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hYpE-R-29 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">maybe your battery or alternator...Check alternator by leaving the car idle and yank out the positive side of the battery..if it dies, alternator problem..goodluck </TD></TR></TABLE>

I wouldn't do that.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris F &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I wouldn't do that.</TD></TR></TABLE>

why not? Thats a good test for it

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Erik95LS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">why not? Thats a good test for it</TD></TR></TABLE>

First, it couldn't be the alternator, based on the original description.

Second... there's not enough capacitance in the system without the battery, the alternator's fluctuating voltage could fry the ECU.

Accurate way to test alternator is with a voltmeter (battery should be ~14 volts when the car is running.) But the battery idiot light does a pretty good job of catching bad alternators.


Reference:
http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/electsystemtest.htm

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ford &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"><FONT COLOR="red">NEVER DISCONNECT THE BATTERY WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AS SEVERE DAMAGE WILL RESULT.</FONT></TD></TR></TABLE>

[edit: This was a good test, back in the day, but I wouldn't do it with modern electronics]

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris F &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

First, it couldn't be the alternator, based on the original description.

Second... there's not enough capacitance in the system without the battery, the alternator's fluctuating voltage could fry the ECU.

Accurate way to test alternator is with a voltmeter (battery should be ~14 volts when the car is running.) But the battery idiot light does a pretty good job of catching bad alternators.

it would not fry the ecu ORELSE you can never jump any car......try it man
Reference:
http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/electsystemtest.htm

[edit: This was a good test, back in the day, but I wouldn't do it with modern electronics]
</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hYpE-R-29 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">it would not fry the ecu ORELSE you can never jump any car......try it man </TD></TR></TABLE>

You can jump a car because there's TWO batteries in parallel in the system, one of which can provide current to start the other car (besides that, the jumping car can charge the dead battery). The spikey output of either/both alternators are smoothed by the batteries.

If you take the battery off, the alternator will be generating a bunch of spikes of current as it spins. It doesn't put out a nice smooth 14V. if you have a 1 farad cap on your stereo, it would be OK, because that can smooth it out pretty well just like a battery could. If not, you're gonna **** off electronics, because the voltage is going to jump between 14 and 0 really quickly.

Still-- there's ZERO chance that this is his alternator, and if it was his alternator, it could only be an intermittent short in the alternator that this test wouldn't catch.