webdzynes

Was driving along, all good and the power completely died. Everything went dead immediately without any warning. I pulled over - checked the battery cables (wiggled them) and all seemed tight. i got back in the car power was there and it started right up. I turned around and headed back home when the same thing happened again. Again, went and wiggled the cables, started the car and drove back home.
This seems like either a bad battery or a bad wire but the cables seem fine. Anybody else ever deal with this and what are your recommendations? (The car is an 06 with 118000 miles but always garaged and taken care of.)

Now I'm nervous to drive it...

jeffs64

These cars have known to have bad grounds. Also check Main Fuses under hood Fuse box. last are you sure it lost ignition might fuel pump/pressure even low oil pressure can shut it down. Scan it for codes. Was there a check engine light. Hope you can find it.

ruxvette

You said you wiggled the wires and they seemed all right. Were they tight, as in not moving at all? Have the cables been off recently and were the cone nuts put back on?

webdzynes

There were no codes at all. The car was fine then completely died. When I checked the cables, nothing at all was loose but then the car started fine. I drove for about 5 minutes and then it all repeated. Started it again and am now home.

All the cables 'seem' tight (from the top of the engine bay anyway...). The battery is only a year old so it too should be fine. If the connection went bad causing it to die and my 'wiggling' it restored it momentarily, would that indicate any kind of code, even when all is good when I check it on the innova scanner?

jeffs64

Just to be clear are you losing engine power but the electrical system is still on. Or are you losing the electrical systems. A bad ground would let the car die.

jeffs64

If your not getting any codes. It really could be anything. Usually if there's a something wrong the check engine light will come on Or some codes would be present.

webdzynes

Thats good to know. I loose everything. Completely dead. When I wiggled the wires, both times the 'connection was back and all was fine - until it died again...

webdzynes

(i.e. - no dash, no lights, nothing - then it would all be fine after lightly wiggling the cables - until it died yet again...)

jeffs64

It still sounds like a bad ground. Or just a lose connection. Hope you can chase it down. I feel for you on this one.

ByRiver

Sounds like a intermittent shorted battery or bad terminal. Get it tested.

Welker1

A couple of things point to it being either a bad ground or lose/bad connection/wire versus a bad battery or alternator. Normally a running vehicle will not lose all power and stop running due to a bad/weak battery (bad alternator, yes). If the battery or alternator were bad, you wouldn't be able to restart the vehicle by simply giggling the wires. Good luck tracing it down

webdzynes

If a bad ground, is the check just on the battery terminal and where the cable is ground to the car? (in other words, just check those 2 locations)?

If it were a bad POSITIVE cable, could that cause the same scenario and how difficult is that to check/replace?

rkj427

possibly could cause it too and the check would involve measuring the continuity of the wiring (resistance) using an Ohm meter under various operating conditions..........

jeffs64

to webdzynes
You need understand that if your alternator is good your car would keep running with dead or weak battery. But a bad ground will kill the ignition/car. There are many grounds but you say if you (wiggle) the battery cable it starts again I would start with the battery ground cable. Work your way from there. Also have the battery checked anyway can't hurt also the alternator. If the alternator has a bad diode it would act like a bad ground. this would show up in an alternator test.

Aliquantus

I just had a very similar issue. I took off the battery cables and found a lot of corrosion underneath not visible without taking them off. Cleaned them and the battery posts and the problem is completely gone.

SnakeQ

Symtoms sound similar to friend's 08 Z06; investigated all normal suspect electrical sources; turned out to be PCM going bad.

SnakeQ

Not true! You need a good battery for the engine to run!!!!

webdzynes

What would you guys guess I can expect to pay to have a chevy mechanic check for these things? The positive cable looks like it gets buried underneath the engine... (I'm not well versed in this stuff..)

hrt vlv

Do you have a digital meter? check voltage drop from the battery post to the cable end. Cables do just disappear under engine. It is a two man/woman job to route cables.

jeffs64