Electrical...car dies...all the time!

[Phat95Talon]

Alright, I've posted in some threads and I've searched but I'm out of ideas. I seem to have a million problems! Here are the basics: 3 weeks ago I replaced the battery, 4 days later, the alternator. A week and a half later I lost the ground on the alternator and the car died. I replaced the ground and charged the battery. It ran for another week and died. Before it dies the SRS light comes on. I charged the battery, put new terminals on it and had the alternator checked. They said it was good. I'm getting the brake light, battery light and radiator light flickering on and off. About 5 days ago it died again. I had it jumped, put it on the charger and it's been fine. 2 nights ago it wouldn't turn over. It was just a bad ground, so I once again put a new terminal on the battery (I had tried some cool looking one, I just went back to the regular kind ) and it started and ran fine. On the way home yesturday the SRS light came on and then pulling into my neighborhood the seatbelt light started flashing. I pulled it in the driveway and it died. I charged it last night and pulled out all the fuses but it seems like something is drawing on the battery still. This morning I made it about 1/2 a mile from work and the SRS light came on. It tried to die at the light so I put it in neutral to not use the brake lights. When I went to go the seat belt light started flashing again. I pulled into the parking lot and it was sputtering and died! So I'm stranded Help me Please!

 

[dartgts]

Do you have an alarm or anything like that installed. Did you install any after market stuff radio, amps, fog lights just about anything you can think of?

If so then check all of them not one or two but all of them. If you haven't installed anything then you might want to start ground hunting again there are a lot of them. ( I know this part really sucks...).

Not a DSM but I had a Daytona where the ground strap that mounts to the intake manifold broke. This caused all sorts of really strange stuff (ex. engine run like crud, engine codes from O2 sensor to TPS problems)

Hope this helps some.

 

[DSM90AWD]

Seems to me that the alternator is not charging the battery.
With the engine off take a VoltMeter and check the (+) teminal. Now start the car and recheck. If the Voltage did not go up then prol a bad connection or the "new" alternator is also bad.

BTW.. did the shop that sold you the Alternator test it on the car?

 

[Phat95Talon]

The alternator was tested at the shop after I had replaced the ground....about a week and a half after it was installed. They said it was good?

I do have subs installed. As of right now, I've disconnected the power wire. I'm going to get a jump and try and limp the car home and I'm going to rip out all the wires. I also have a turbo timer. I didn't install that so I'm pretty clueless when it comes to that. I know it has a harness but i'm not sure if there would be any open wires or not. Besides that, nothing really. The subs were in the car for about 6 months before all this has started so it shouldn't be the wireing unless it's just touching somewhere. Then again I don't know what the freak i'm doing! I found a shop that pretty much just deals with electrical problems but I can't take it in until Monday so I have a few more days to see if I can locate the problem. Thanks for your help. The car has become a POS! I would have kicked it this morning if it didn't look so darn pretty.

Kristin

 

[DSM90AWD]

With the car running your alternator should be able to handle any electric drains due to aftermarket stereo equipment (unless you have a 3,000 Watt system ). That's why I think it is a charging issue.. either the (+) wire from the Alt is not connected correctly, the battery cannot hold a charge or the Alt is bad.

Anyway.. good luck and post what you find out.

 

[Phat95Talon]

Just to update. I got the Talon back Friday. It's running and I hooked the subs back up. I haven't seen the 3 dash lights but one time. That was when I turned the key on just to shut the sun roof and the turbo timer was running. The shop said it was the alternator and that the "new" alternator that I put in 3 weeks ago was bad. When I was putting the subs back in I disconnected the positive battery terminal and still got a spark. Doesn't that mean something is still drawing power from the battery?

 

[hellcat77]

Originally posted by Phat95Talon
The alternator was tested at the shop after I had replaced the ground....about a week and a half after it was installed. They said it was good?
Kristin

What do you mean, "Replaced the ground" on the Alt or where?

If so, where on the Alt?

I dont' see a gound off the Alt?

Please help I'm having almost the same problem!

TIA........


Howie

 

[Phat95Talon]

If your looking down at the alternator, I believe it was the back left side that had a wire going into a bolt. That had come loose and I lost all power. I couldn't even jump start it to move it 10 feet into a drive way. After I put that on and charged the battery it ran for a few days.

When I took the car to the shop, the guy took apart the alternator and said the regulator was bad. I guess my "new" alternator had about $20 worth of new parts. I know they are all re-built, but I guess mine wasn't too good.