So today I decided to wash the engine bay.
I disconnected the battery because the water from the battery was messing up the paint up cause of the sulfuric acid it would throw around where the battery layed. It was bad and corroded. I washed it with a pepsi, then repainted that area with a gloss black. After that, I then washed the engine bay using a degreaser because I didnt have simple green.
I stayed away from the fuse box, Air box and the PCM. After drying some parts in the engine bay, I decided to fill up the battery with water again. I hooked it up, turned on the car and went for a drive. The air bag, e brake were flashing sequentially. when this was happening my radio would cut out as well(link to vid posted at bottom). I came home. Unplugged the battery and let it sat there for about a half hr till my mom came. I then went again for another drive and no problem what so ever. Just now,(12.45am) I turned on the car because I had to switch the my cars in the drive way and I turned on my high beams and both of my high beams burnt out. I see that my battery is way too high up to the red 18 mark. Maybe thats what made my high beams went poof!.
Im worried. Is this a sign of trouble? I was playing with it by turning it off and on and the battery meter slowly goes all the way up to the red 18 mark.
It makes my lights extra bright, really hot, my overlays become even brighter than normal and my turn signals blink faster.
I mean whats going on. I need your help.
I hope I posted this in the right place.
This is a vid how it was acting up after the wash.
Youll notice in the vid that the music cuts off, My turn signals blink faster and the battery meter is all the way up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-R1ounBJ0Q

 

Can't say I know whats wrong with it, but I wouldn't be driving it with any gauge in the red zone. You can fry a lot of stuff. Did you put a different batter in? Double check your connections and make sure all the grounds are tight. I know these cars are very sensitive to how much power your battery is putting out. Also check your alternator, thats what is powering your car while you are driving, check all the wires that go to that. Did you use a power washer?

 

Try a different battery all together. If it was leaking sulfuric acid then that thing is toast. I saw you filled it up with water did u use distilled water or from like your water hose. Btw your supposed to use distilled water. I know that low voltage can cause all sorts of weird crap happen so I'm betting high voltage can do the same thing.

 

water from the sink. Im going to check all the wiring today, make sure that everything is connected and checking the grounds if they are tight.
No I did not. Someone told me to use a degreaser, soap and water, water hose.

 

I took the battery to a local shop and it reads ok at normal level. Guy at the shop said its the alternator overpowering my battery and everything else in the car.

 

did you replace the alternator to see if that was the problem?

 

its being replaced tomorrow.
2 mechanics have said its the alternator, so Im going with that.

 

You're wasting your money getting the alternator replaced.

Every time for 12 years when I wash my engine bay, which I do every 4-5 months.....I get the same crazy volts i nthe red and I get some lights flickering in the guage cluster. You just have to let it dry out. Or if you must drive it, which I do every time I get things wet in there.....I turn on my radio, A/C fan on HIGH, headlights on high beam and even my rear defroster, that keeps the volts down out of the red till it dries off, which could take 2 days.

For some people, if they get things really wet i na bad way, they should just let it dry out by sitting.

Its not the alternator.

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