Car just gave up, won't start

[stock1g4g63]

Hey guys, okay, I was driving home, when I noticed my dash lights were dimmer than usual. Then, all of a sudden my speakers went out (radio was on, and had power... but no sound), and my turbo timer starting going nuts (kept turning on and off, but really fast) but the car was still driving fine. When I pulled up to the light, the engine started to sound really funny, and almost died on me, then when I put it into 1st to start driving, I got no response from my throttle. I pushed it into the closes parking lot, and tried to turn it on, but everything just died out (car wouldn't even try to turn over, no response from turning ignition on). I took the key out, waited a few min, and tried again. This time, the car would try to turn on, but it seemed as though the battery drained out. However, I turned the radio on just to see, and it worked just fine. I checked my battery connections, and wiggled them around a bit in case they were loose. My buddy stopped by to give me a jump start, but the car wouldn't start, it would try as long as I held the key in ignition but wouldn't start.

When I put the key in and turn it to the ACC position, the dash lights would click on, then off twice. Don't know if it's supposed to do that (never noticed that before). Oh, and my buddy noted that my fuel pressure is at 0 even whey I try to start it (don't know whether or not it's supposed to change when trying to start, or only when car is idling/running)

Any guesses?

 

[Artago]

It almost sounds like a short circuit somewhere. Where though is anyone's guess. Does anyone know how to test for shorts in the electrical system? Sorry I can't help more. Best of Luck, Tom.

 

[stock1g4g63]

Bad alternator? I'm hoping.

 

[Shaggy_357]

Here's an off-the-wall idea; back in the day when I had my old GS, it had a battery in it that wasn't the right size. I had a couple of "fade outs" where the car gradually died, and a few where I was turning at 20mph and it shut down (not fun)....hopefully it's just the alternator, but if that fails, look towards the battery?
Good luck




Eric

 

[Talesin]

Sounds like your alternator died, and ran it off battery power until that died as well. May end up having to buy a new one of each, if the battery won't hold a charge once you toss it on a charger. This is why I keep my Apex TT on the voltmeter function, and have a warning set up... had alts die on me in the past, and even had one over-charge. If not for the meter, I'd have ended up stranded in each case (or have fried my electrical components in the overvolt situation).

 

[stock1g4g63]

That sucks, I changed the alternator a little over a year ago, and just bought the battery two months ago. Also, for a while now, my brake light on my dash has been going on and off (very faintly, lighter than the rest of the dash lights, but enough for me to know that it's on).

 

[Talesin]

Our cars generally seem to kill alternators on the order of every six months to a year.. especially quick if you run without the exhaust manifold heatshield, or have a power steering leak. Why I ended up just buying an Autozone 'lifetime' alternator... when it dies, I can just swap it out for another, free. And it's really not difficult to swap out the alt.

Looking at your engine photos, I do hope you've put on your recirculation tube by the way. The OEM 1G 'bov' is open under vacuum, so even aside from running pig-rich after blowing off to the atmosphere, you'll be running ridiculously lean at idle.

 

[beating4g63s]

same problem happen to me the other day in my maxima everything started to dim then battery and brake light came on and radio then my other gauges turned off. and then car died and coasted, swapped altenator and recharged battery everythings good.

also easy way to tell is to either slap in another battery and see if it starts or recharge your battery and see if it starts if it does bad altenator.

 

[stock1g4g63]

Thanks a lot guys, I feel better that it's just the alternator. I'm going to recirc my bov, and I already have a heatshield on, so hopefully that helps.

 

[Talesin]

That'll help with the alternator killing somewhat, make them last a little longer... but it won't stop your idle from running way too lean, potentially dangerously so. Or sucking anything nearby into the open CBV. Get that thing recirculated ASAP, man.

 

[stock1g4g63]

Ok, changed alternator, same problem. With another car hooked up to jump, my car will try to start but still won't come on. Without jumper cables hooked up, windows and radio work, but when I turn the key... nothing. Not even a click. Everything just turns off.

 

[stock1g4g63]

Anyone else ran into these problems? or should I say "this" problem? It's starting to really agitate me.

 

[dsm93turbo]

Have you checked any of your under hood fuses?

 

[stock1g4g63]

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Also, what is this thing? Just noticed it... is it supposed to be hooked up to anything?

And another thing, there's another bundle that supposed to hook up to the alternator on the side of it with a single screw, looks like one of the wires is going to the power steering, but there's another black wire (a little thicker) that looks broken.. what do you guys think it could be?

 

[dsm91TalonTSi]

i dont have a 2g, but isnt that an ac line? a friend of mine that has a 2g lead me to believe that there's 2 lines for the ac