electrical problems
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, CA
Serious Help Needed Ok, this problem with my 2000 Z28 has been happening ever since an accident I had about 2 months ago. It has gotten worse over time and now it’s so bad that I don’t want to drive it anywhere.
Two months ago I spun around and jumped a curb resulting in 2 bent wheels (both right side), one flat tire (right front), and a bent spindle arm (right front). I had my wheels replaced along with my tire and spindle arm. The car seemed to be back 100% after a good alignment until I started to have a problem with my speedometer when going around right hand corners while accelerating. The speedometer needle would jump to 200mph and stay like that for a little bit, the radio/cd would also crackle and jump while this was happening. Lately it has been getting worse. On some right hand corners (more than when it first started to happen) it would do the same but for longer periods of time. The warning lights would also come on as if I just turned the key to the on position (airbag, abs, etc). I found one way to get it to stop freaking out was to make a somewhat sharp left hand turn. Then it would go back to normal until another right hand corner.
Today I went out to go to school and the warning lights, tach, computer mileage display, and radio are not functioning. No sign of life from the computer except the speedo and the 4 gauges on the bottom work fine. The car drives fine but I am afraid the computer is going to go on me and I am not going to be able to drive or start it up.
Anyone have any ideas as to what is happening. I really don’t want to pay $$ for the dealer to do it but will if I have to. Thanks for the help.
Two months ago I spun around and jumped a curb resulting in 2 bent wheels (both right side), one flat tire (right front), and a bent spindle arm (right front). I had my wheels replaced along with my tire and spindle arm. The car seemed to be back 100% after a good alignment until I started to have a problem with my speedometer when going around right hand corners while accelerating. The speedometer needle would jump to 200mph and stay like that for a little bit, the radio/cd would also crackle and jump while this was happening. Lately it has been getting worse. On some right hand corners (more than when it first started to happen) it would do the same but for longer periods of time. The warning lights would also come on as if I just turned the key to the on position (airbag, abs, etc). I found one way to get it to stop freaking out was to make a somewhat sharp left hand turn. Then it would go back to normal until another right hand corner.
Today I went out to go to school and the warning lights, tach, computer mileage display, and radio are not functioning. No sign of life from the computer except the speedo and the 4 gauges on the bottom work fine. The car drives fine but I am afraid the computer is going to go on me and I am not going to be able to drive or start it up.
Anyone have any ideas as to what is happening. I really don’t want to pay $$ for the dealer to do it but will if I have to. Thanks for the help.
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,712
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From: michigan; where even our licens plates rust
humm defiently sounds like you knocked somthing loose in the electrical system *as you think now duh **** head* my suggestion is check all your connectors going into to your pcm and also check your batterie turmanal might be loose you never know...
let us know if there is any up date i cant really say i know for shure the probablem but double check the easy stuff before you shell out the $
sorry i cant be more help
let us know if there is any up date i cant really say i know for shure the probablem but double check the easy stuff before you shell out the $
sorry i cant be more help
I've never had this problem on any of mine but my fiance's did something very similar one time, hers would blink. That is lose power then come back on or just kind of go dim and then come back to normal power. But hers also quit. It turned out to be a bad battery cable (which we had suspected) but we couldn't see the fault til we got the cable off the next day.
If it helps.
If it helps.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, CA
I went out and worked on my car today. I opened up the hood and the battery tray was broken on one side, closest to headlight (battery was loose). There are wires running right by this and the battery has been sliding around. I inspected the wires and none are cut or worn. The computer is working fine and shows no signs of any problems.
I checked the fuse panel inside the car and the blue #15 fuse was blown for the “power accy”. I replaced the fuse with a new one and everything was back to normal (radio working, warning lights on dash working, tach working, etc) but on my way back I made a right hand corner and the speedo needle again jumped and radio crackled. I parked then started it up again and once again everything stopped working. I checked the same fuse and it was blown.
Can the battery sliding around cause the wires to crimp and blow the fuse? Or could it be something else. The bottom of the battery tray was pretty scratched up and plastic dust was covering it. This is my line of reasoning so far. I am going to order a new battery tray and replace the fuse when I install it, hopefully it will fix it for good.
Any other ideas?
Anyone know the part # for the battery tray?
I checked the fuse panel inside the car and the blue #15 fuse was blown for the “power accy”. I replaced the fuse with a new one and everything was back to normal (radio working, warning lights on dash working, tach working, etc) but on my way back I made a right hand corner and the speedo needle again jumped and radio crackled. I parked then started it up again and once again everything stopped working. I checked the same fuse and it was blown.
Can the battery sliding around cause the wires to crimp and blow the fuse? Or could it be something else. The bottom of the battery tray was pretty scratched up and plastic dust was covering it. This is my line of reasoning so far. I am going to order a new battery tray and replace the fuse when I install it, hopefully it will fix it for good.
Any other ideas?
Anyone know the part # for the battery tray?
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 320
Likes: 0
From: Brentwood,Tn
Sounds like your battery could be bad,(my gauges went nuts when my battery went out)make sure you get the clamp that holds the battery down too.If it isnt the battery then check the wires,you could of stretched them or somethin,if all else fails autotap it.
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (2)
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From: michigan; where even our licens plates rust
dude thats prolly your probablem right there... if your batterie is sliding around the termal bolts are probably hitting metal some where and shorting out... this will accout for power surges and blowing your fuse accesry fuse. if not there is a short some where in your accesry cercut you just gotta track it down. but first id look for black marks on the metal around your battery. (if the battery shorts on somthing there will be a "burnt" mark where the electricity archs aganst the metal. if your not seeing any take some electrical tape and put it on the battery bolts just incase... then test drive and check it out... if its not that than im not too shure what it could be....
good luck ..
let us know if you track down the probablem
good luck ..
let us know if you track down the probablem
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TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,712
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From: michigan; where even our licens plates rust
oh and about batterie try part numbers.... i say upgrade while your at it. a couple of companys that have links here -------------------->>>>
have some great trays
have some great trays
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Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, CA
Fixed!! Woo, hoo. Today I found the problem and it fixed all the electrical problems I have been having for the past 2 months. I narrowed it down to being the left side fog light wiring. I guess it was somehow grounding out around right hand corners and was causing the radio to crackle and the speedometer to jump around. This eventually started to blow fuses and thats where I was at when I decided to get to the bottom of the mess. I rewired the left fog light and made sure each connection was taped and away from anything metal. This stopped the blowing of fuses, and the problems when making right turns.
BTW: The reason the fuse blew every time I drove it was because I would lock it up after I got out and parked. Locking it up flashes the fog lights, so each time I would come back to the car the fuses were dead.
Thanks to all those people who have helped me and gave me ideas on which direction to go. I am glad I could fix this mess without taking it to the dealership and spending tons of money.
cudaeh: where can i get a better battery tray/hold down?
BTW: The reason the fuse blew every time I drove it was because I would lock it up after I got out and parked. Locking it up flashes the fog lights, so each time I would come back to the car the fuses were dead.
Thanks to all those people who have helped me and gave me ideas on which direction to go. I am glad I could fix this mess without taking it to the dealership and spending tons of money.
cudaeh: where can i get a better battery tray/hold down?