My car is DEAD!!!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,027
Likes: 245
From: Boise ID
My car is DEAD!!!
Okay, I got up this morning and thought to myself, it looks like a good day to drive the vette to work. So, I leave and get about a mile or so up the road and all the while I am noticing the power is fluctuating on the dash and the stereo ocasionally.
Now, by this time I have decided to try and get the car home and worry about it later when I don't have to be at work, but before I can get another block the car lost all electrical power and totally died.
Now the car has no electrical power at all, nothing works! I checked The main fuses and they all look good. I didn't have alot of time to trouble shoot since I had to hurry and find someone to help me get it home so I could get to work...
Does anyone have a clue what it might be?
Now, by this time I have decided to try and get the car home and worry about it later when I don't have to be at work, but before I can get another block the car lost all electrical power and totally died.
Now the car has no electrical power at all, nothing works! I checked The main fuses and they all look good. I didn't have alot of time to trouble shoot since I had to hurry and find someone to help me get it home so I could get to work...
Does anyone have a clue what it might be?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,027
Likes: 245
From: Boise ID
Originally Posted by grapeknutz
Battery failure or a cable is loose or bad.
Would it lose power while running if the battery failed or if a cable was loose, or would it continue to run off of the alternator?
I did check the main fuses and the battery cable connections at the battery...
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,229
Likes: 1
The car wouldn't stall even if the battery was dead.
I'm not expert but it would be more logical that the problem would be with the alt then the battery.
If you just power on the key without starting the car does the display panel have power? normally even if the battery is almost dead it will have enough power to light up the display, if you have nothing on the display put a booster pack or jump your battery on another cars battery and put the key to on. If you still have nothing on the display then you'll seriously have to start trouble shooting the wires, maybe a fusible link fail or maybe even just a jumper (even if it still looks good). These are the basic places to start, but their is lots of other stuff, I'm not pretending being all knowing, other members will chip in.
good luck!
I'm not expert but it would be more logical that the problem would be with the alt then the battery.
If you just power on the key without starting the car does the display panel have power? normally even if the battery is almost dead it will have enough power to light up the display, if you have nothing on the display put a booster pack or jump your battery on another cars battery and put the key to on. If you still have nothing on the display then you'll seriously have to start trouble shooting the wires, maybe a fusible link fail or maybe even just a jumper (even if it still looks good). These are the basic places to start, but their is lots of other stuff, I'm not pretending being all knowing, other members will chip in.
good luck!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,027
Likes: 245
From: Boise ID
Originally Posted by TheStef
If you just power on the key without starting the car does the display panel have power?
Originally Posted by TheStef
normally even if the battery is almost dead it will have enough power to light up the display, if you have nothing on the display put a booster pack or jump your battery on another cars battery and put the key to on. If you still have nothing on the display then you'll seriously have to start trouble shooting the wires, maybe a fusible link fail or maybe even just a jumper (even if it still looks good). These are the basic places to start, but their is lots of other stuff, I'm not pretending being all knowing, other members will chip in.
good luck!
good luck!
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 22,185
Likes: 65
From: NJ
Regardless of what you have to do, step one would be to replace the battery to get the car running. Put a battery in it and test the alternator as soon as the car starts. That will give you a good idea of whats going on.
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,027
Likes: 245
From: Boise ID
Originally Posted by Chevy Guy
Regardless of what you have to do, step one would be to replace the battery to get the car running. Put a battery in it and test the alternator as soon as the car starts. That will give you a good idea of whats going on.
When I get home tonight I will check the battery first thing.
Chris
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,027
Likes: 245
From: Boise ID
When I got home it seems the power came back on at some point because the driving lights were on like I left them without knowing...
So I guess this means that the fault is intermittent...
So I guess this means that the fault is intermittent...
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
You have an intermittent connection between the battery and the ignition switch most likely. You didn't say what year C4 you have, but the early ones like my 87 has a jump start terminal behind the battery where 8 wires are bolted and one of them goes to the ignition switch where a large portion of the cars electrical circuits get power, like lights, radio, dash, and the ignition. Check the tightness of the nut on this terminal and look at all of the fusible links on each of the eight wires as one goes to the ignition switch and it may be burned looking and intermittent. Also, I would check the battery voltage with a voltmeter at its terminals engine off to determine the state of charge. This will tell you if the alternator is working since you did not tell us what the dash voltmeter read. 12.9 volts or higher, fully charged. 12.0 volts or lower, discharged. If discharged, charge your battery up with a battery charger, don't let the alternator charge your battery up unless you like replacing alternators. As general maintenance, remove your battery cables (neg first) and clean the cable lugs and battery terminals and replace (neg last). Start the car and notice the dash voltmeter, it should read 14+ volts engine cold and will drop to 13+ engine hot.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 17,066
Likes: 3
From: Milpitas ca
This happened to me about a month ago. While driving on the freeway entire car shut down, no electricity. I glided to the side of the road. Scary feeling. When I looked under the hood I noticed the positive battery cable had come loose. Tightened it back up and I was on my way again. I guess it vibrated loose.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,027
Likes: 245
From: Boise ID
Thanks for all the advice from everyone!
I was charging the battery most of the evening last night since the battery was dead from me leaving the lights on when it died on me yesterday. Once the battery was charged up most of the way I tried to start it to move it in the garage but to my dismay the car would not start...it acted really funny, it clicked like the battery was low (kind of) but when I left the key on and tried the radio everything was flickering. I am leaning towards it being related to the positive cable or the fusible links but I haven't had the time to troubleshoot enough...
Chris
I was charging the battery most of the evening last night since the battery was dead from me leaving the lights on when it died on me yesterday. Once the battery was charged up most of the way I tried to start it to move it in the garage but to my dismay the car would not start...it acted really funny, it clicked like the battery was low (kind of) but when I left the key on and tried the radio everything was flickering. I am leaning towards it being related to the positive cable or the fusible links but I haven't had the time to troubleshoot enough...
Chris
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,027
Likes: 245
From: Boise ID
Originally Posted by jabez
This happened to me about a month ago. While driving on the freeway entire car shut down, no electricity. I glided to the side of the road. Scary feeling. When I looked under the hood I noticed the positive battery cable had come loose. Tightened it back up and I was on my way again. I guess it vibrated loose.
Does this mean if the Battery was disconnected the car would not run?
It seems to me on older cars (older than my 94 anyway) you didn't need the battery once it was started and running off the alternator.
Has this changed? Will the car die if the battery was to suddenly short or have some other catastrophic failure?
I am fairly certain now that the battery is toast (one OPTIMA down the drain) and since I got it at the base I am waiting to take it with me to work on Monday so I can exchange it or get a refund since it is a free 3 year replacement.
Chris
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 240
Likes: 0
From: St. Louis MO
Originally Posted by AEmedic
This is an important message I didn't fully read I guess...
Does this mean if the Battery was disconnected the car would not run?
It seems to me on older cars (older than my 94 anyway) you didn't need the battery once it was started and running off the alternator.
Has this changed? Will the car die if the battery was to suddenly short or have some other catastrophic failure?
I am fairly certain now that the battery is toast (one OPTIMA down the drain) and since I got it at the base I am waiting to take it with me to work on Monday so I can exchange it or get a refund since it is a free 3 year replacement.
Chris
Does this mean if the Battery was disconnected the car would not run?
It seems to me on older cars (older than my 94 anyway) you didn't need the battery once it was started and running off the alternator.
Has this changed? Will the car die if the battery was to suddenly short or have some other catastrophic failure?
I am fairly certain now that the battery is toast (one OPTIMA down the drain) and since I got it at the base I am waiting to take it with me to work on Monday so I can exchange it or get a refund since it is a free 3 year replacement.
Chris
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,027
Likes: 245
From: Boise ID
Originally Posted by raw122
once the car is running if you unhook the battery it should stay running if it does not normaly means the alternator is bad
All that they needed to do was hook up the positive cable again and it worked fine...
Does anyone REALLY know what the answer is here?
I really need to know.
Chris
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Disconnecting the battery on a running engine with a good alternator may or may not keep the engine running. Here's why. The battery supplies field current to the alternator and the alternators regulator adjusts field current to maintain 14.7 volts out of the alternator. When you disconnect the battery, for a short interval (1-2 milliseconds) any capacitors in the cars electrical system (bypass capacitors in the radio, noise suppression capacitors across headlight motors, antenna motor, etc.) have to momentarily (1-2 milliseconds) supply field current in order for the alternator to hold up its output. If you have a large electrical load, all of the capacitors may not be able to supply field current long enough to maintain alternator output to continue putting out 14.7 volts. So the answer is, maybe the engine will continue running when you disconnect the alternator but there is no guarantee under all conditions.