Complete Electrical Cut? Help!!!!

[the_intimidator]

ok here is the deal. I was driving home and stopped at my girlfriends work to tell her im heading out for a new job. when i go to leave the i turn the key and everything is fine go to start no electrical. after playin with the key a few times it finally started. so i continue to drive back to my place to pack up. on the way the car dies no electrical to turn signals nothing. coast back into a parking lot and my electrical comes back after moving the key again. so i continue home and it cuts out again for a split second. so the car studdered. i didnt even have a chance to move the key. Well when the electrical first cut it cleared the ecu cause i dont have CEL anymore and cleared my radio memory. any idea's on causes cause i need to leave soon!
Eric

 

[RedTalon95]

Have you checked to make sure your battery connections are secure and not shorting on anything?

 

[TSiAWD666]

Only time this ever happened to me was a loose connector at the battery.

 

[the_intimidator]

battery connections are tight. first thing i checked

 

[TSiAWD666]

My only other guess would be a loose relay/fuse. I've had this occur as well on my vehicle when I had intermittent problems with interior lights. Found a relay was barely loose and occasionally would not make contact on one of the terminals. This was the result of the previous owner rewiring the foglights to they would operate independently of the headlights by jamming a wire into the relay socket along with the relay terminal itself, resulting in bending of the terminals and slightly loose fit. Perhaps you have a loose fuse/relay somewhere, but off the top of my head I'm not sure which to look at as to cutting out all your electricity in the car.

 

[Jeff99GS]

Sounds like a bad Ignition switch to me.

 

[TALONTRAX]

+ 1 on the ignition switch

 

[Defiant]

Cover the positive terminal and tie down the battery.

 

[the_intimidator]

well here is more info for you guys... my car is now 40-60 miles away AT my job site since i couldnt get home tonight. i noticed when it does the quick cuts.... the CEL, Coolant and Brake lights (which are always on since i have issues) flicker. so i was thinkin alt? but how can it cut power to the ecu. Well after i lost power tonight i still have A. radio B. headlights and dash cluster lights, C door ajar light. and thats it. I was thinkin ignition switch so i pull it apart.... i find the 12 volt lead on the ign switch. and jumpered it to start and to run and each time i do so voltage drops to 4.5 or so and i get nothing. Sounds like a short to me in the ignition switch circuit? Any idea's will be appreciated. i will have to work on the car off and on during my 12 hour shifts wiht a flashlight :-| time to go to bed

 

[VETTE_50_TH]

My terminals have been terrible with the corrosion they get. Every 4 months i have to clean the terminals and the connections. It will look like the connection is good, but in fact its not. The only time this has happened and it wasn't my battery, was when the ECU died.

James

 

[the_intimidator]

well if i jump the hot lead at the ignition switch to the starter side or run side.... shouldnt my starter turn over or at least get my dash lights on?

 

[Jeff99GS]

No it won't, cause you need to power up the Ignition wire and the starter wire at the same time. Then disconnect the start wire once its running, but leave the ignition wire connected to the hot wire or else it will shut off.

 

[TOONAH]

Yep! It sounds like something is sucking your battery voltage down, but consider this: A fully charged battery rated at 550 Amps can supply a near short with 550 Amps for an hour. Do you suppose this would cause something to get really hot? Catch on fire? Smell nasty? You bet your bippy it would. So if that is not happening, it is most likely that the battery is not taking and/or holding a full charge.
The more likely scenario is the more obvious, you have a bad battery.
The way I do it is: I don't start by pulling the switch. I get underneath and jump the starter solenoid with a 10AWG wire. If the motor turns over, I know the starter is good. Then I take my DVM down there, cuss a little as I get dirty and oily and have a buddy turn the ignition key to the run position. First I tell him to make sure it is in neutral or Park!. Then I measure the voltage from the run wire going to the starter solenoid. If I see 12V but the bendix gear doesn't throw out then I know I have a bad starter solenoid.
If I don't see 12VDC then I know the switch or the fusible link is out. Now I won a nice Datsun 240Z off a guy once because all the local yokels could not start his car. New Battery, new Ignition switch, new Starter, new Alternator. I come walking up in a new suit and tie and say to this greasy fat guy in front of ten people; "So if I start this car in five minutes or less you will sign over the title to me?" He says " Thats right!" I smile, pop the hood, locate the primary ignition fusible link, pop out my knife, bare the wire on either end of it, deftly and stylishly attach my $2.99 Radio Shack alligator clip lead across it.
Jump in the car, crank it. It purrs like a kitten, I observe all the murmurings and drooping jaws, grab my title and drive off laughing like a moron. Knowledge is a dangerous thing, guess you know what I am.

 

[VTEC_THIS]

Make sure your alternator's working correctly.

A good indication of a battery that's low on charge (ie alternator not charging the battery) is when your emergency brake and coolant lights start to light up and stay on (usually a little dimmer than if they were really "on"). Also, if you have no interior lights, power windows, etc - check the fuse in your engine bay for the alternator (and make sure nothing is touching the positive terminal on your alternator that might short it out).

 

[CruisinGSX]

I agree with checking the alternator. It could either not be charging enough, not at all, or even overcharging... I actually had an overcharging problem about a year ago, which actually popped my alternator fuse. Now that's a hell of a mess. I had such a crazy myriad of electrical issues with the blown fuse that it made me think my ECU took a crap on me. ~ $450 later (new ECU), and I still had the issue !!!

Don't forget that when the vehicle is running, the electrical power required by everything in your car all comes from the alternator. The battery is basically there just to turn the motor over to get it started.