Baracus

I have a 2000 ws6 basically all stock with an added power dyne sc and 373 gears the mods have been on the car over 30,000 miles no problems the rest of the car is still all stock with 41,000 on the odometer.

We were driving at 65 with cruise control on and all of a sudden the car just like shut down for a split second radio cut out and everything then fired right back up and all the dash lights came on as if I had just started the car and it was driving fine again. We turned around and headed back home and it did it once more. I have checked every electrical connection I can think of everything is good and tight. We drove around for over an hour today and it never acted up on us. I moved the key around in the ignition and even turned it off and back on and it is not the same the radio does not mess up at all just keeps on playing without interruption. I am stumped; if anyone has come across this before please help me out here.

Thanks,

Roadhouse

iTrader: (8)

I used to own a 1996 Impala SS that would shut down just like that with no warning at all but it wouldn't come back up until it was restarted. After some searching around it turned out to be a weak battery, I bought a new one and the problem went away. This may or may not be your problem but give the battery a look over to be sure.

Baracus

Thanks, I tested it as well and it tested out fine. 13 volts and held it's load test far beyond it's cca rating. I am stumped and this is my wifes car, I really dont want her stranded with it.

toofless916

whats electical power?? sounds political

Baracus

Just cant see the humor in this problem myself yet. sorry,

I thought more about your weak battery and ours is a 6speed and the clutch was out and running 65mph so thats why my retarted on its own I think. I am going to test the battery some more this afternoon.

Baracus

The battery tested fine again, no more ideas from anyone?

jjyiz28

i have a 97 accord, and it did the same thing but it was a recall issue.

ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN DEGRADE DUE TO THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE SWITCH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED.

Consequence Summary: WORN CONTACTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Corrective Summary: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.

my car would do that initially what you said, lights would go out for a split second then turn back on, etc.. i got too lazy to fix the recall, and now it starts to just stall like in the freeway, and i needed to start it back up. got it fixed recently though.

Baracus

I thought of that too, I spent about 10 minutes moving the key around in the ignition and nothing not even a little start of anything. The contacts in there are good. I am down to thinking it might be a VATS issue maybe?

9silverbird8

iTrader: (19)

Exact same problem happened to me. I dunno if you've messed with the + power post over by the fuseboxes, but it would be worth checking out. The bolt on mine wiggled itself loose and was doing exactly what you are describing. I tightened it down and the problem vanished. GL to ya, I hope its something that simple.

Baracus

Yeah it's nice and tight both the connector up from the alternator and the little top post. One of the first connections I checked. I'll pull them apart and put them back tomorrow for safe measure.

DrivenWS6

iTrader: (1)

Mine did this once before and i think it was my ignition switch. I dont know if didnt quite have it over far enough in the run position or what but that was probably over a month ago and it has never done it again. Maybe the contacts in the switch are getting bad but that was the only time it has ever done it and it did it like 3 times that same night and that was it.

But i can also see it beeing a major ground or power supply being loose too. Id say check and make sure everthing is tight. DId you check your alternator, maybe your power wire on your alternator is loose or dirty. Just my 2 cents


Ben

Charging TA

Even if the battery tests fine it I still wouldnt rule it out... In Karting last year my brother had just swapped a new battery in, it was a higher rated battery that was now allowed by the rules, practice went fine and then in the first qualifying all of a sudden the car shut down, he restarted it and everything went fine... Checked all of the electrical connections, measured the battery, everything looked great... replaced the plug and all. First heat same crap happens, it happened to my brothers team-mate too then, who had also switched to the newer battery... Somehow these new batteries just could not handle the vibration, even though they tested fine they still were bad.

Hope that helps.

ProjectKronos

My 96 Mustang (to be sold), had the same problem, real dangerous! I'd be driving, hit a bump or something, and sometimes not, and everything would turn off...all lights all electrical equipment, steering and everything...couldn't even use hazards. I looked at the battery terminals...They looked tight...but they were old, didn't look too corroded either....but when i changed out the Ground (Black) terminal, it never did it again. So I changed out both for a symmetrical look.

In any case, the terminal leads looked tight, and they were tight enough that i could not take them off by hand or by pulling...but it was just enough corrosion and looseness to cause that problem...Try That.

YoMommasTA

iTrader: (1)

its not vats.vats would cause a no start or start with the security light on.vats puts out a square wave form the pcm looks for to enable fuel.it couldn't cause anything like you descibe.i'd look for bad connections,even connection that look ok can sometimes be bad.also i've seen bad batteries that tested fine but went open circiut when you hit a bump in the road.parts inside the batt can crack or break off causing an intermitent problem.thing is even if the batt was open circuit the car would still run for a few mins,slowly everything would dim as the field in the alt collasped.you must have a bad connection someplace that supplies power after the batt and alt circuit connections.

Baracus

I rechecked all the connections, everything is good and tight grounds and all. The day it happened the negitive on the battery I could move just a little, I let it idle with my wife in it and pulled it completely off, no lights on the dash the engine kept running fine of course. I put it back on and tightened it down well. I cant find any corrosion or anything anywhere or loose anything. I even pulled the secondary air crap out of the way and checked the grounds on the back of the drivers side head they are nice and tight. I have pulled all the major fuses out to look for corrosion too, nothing. It has not acted up since that one day yet. Just scared it will again soon.

Charging TA

Maybe the ignition relay is going out then?

Baracus

I don't think so, I can turn the key off while driving and the radio is not effected at all as it was when the problem happens.

Charging TA

But doesnt the ignition relay control all of the power for the entire car? Meaning if it goes its basically like unhooking your battery and alternator? (Not sure, just faint memory)

Baracus

Good question, idk

JimMueller

iTrader: (9)

Although you didn't mention it specifically, you probably already did this. I had a similar problem when one of my alternator cables had worked itself loose. Bought a replacement battery but never ended up using it because things were fine again after the loose wire was repaired.

Good luck, I hate electrical problems