Gauges reset and car dies while driving
Gauges reset and car dies while driving I have a 99 camaro, that has once or twice before this had the gauges reset when I cranked the car. This was months back that this happened. Over the last week It has been doing almost daily. I did a search and saw that sometimes the cluster is bad in the 99's or I could have a bad ground. I checked my grounds, and they were good and tight. The other problem is that the car has died while I have been driving, then started right back up without me doing anything. The entire electrical system shuts down. The radio and cluster resets, the gauges sweep. This has been sporadic when it happens. This morning when I went to start my car it started right up, but really rough then immediatly died. I restarted it and it was running really rough again, I let it warm up for a few secs and it was fine, put it in gear and it died instantly. The voltage gauge was low, but I checked it with a voltmeter at the battery and it was 13.3 Volts. I put a charger on it for a few minutes and it started right up and I drove it to work with no problems. Once I got to work I killed it and restarted it few times, with no problem. I'm thinking it is the battery, but does anybody have any other ideas
The car resetting it's electrical system has happened before to me while driving. I did some research and some guys said that if your battery hold down is broken or loose the battery will shift back and contact the AC canister. Once it does that it shorts out the electricals for a split second causing the reset. I checked mine and the battery hold down was loose. So time will tell. Good Luck
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 600
Likes: 0
From: Coppell,TX
I had this problem. One of my 4awg power wires was hitting the swaybar mounts. You really need to look for large shorts. What id did is took out all of my power wires and rerouted them. Found the swaybar short may help you find yours.
12 Second Club
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 378
Likes: 1
From: Austin, TX
i have had the same thing happen to me. it was the red rubber piece that goes around the positive wire right where it makes contact with the battery. it wasnt allowing good contact, so my truck would shut off, gages would go off, downshift!, and reset the radio. then all would be fine in like a second. so i sliced the piece or rubber off and have not had anyproblems for like 2 years. thats more than likely it.
I found out what my electrical problem was by almost catching on fire. The battery cabes inside the cable loom had frayed and melted each other. I found this out while I was accelerating. Power went out and never came back. Pulled the car over and lots of smoke coming from the battery and positive cable. Almost had to use the fire extinguisher. After the smoke cleared the positive cable was just unwound and burnt. At the shop the cables were pulled and underneath the single cable loom where the positive and negative run next to each other had frayed and made contact. New cables and new battey car is driving great now. The battery just fried itself. So lesson is check those +/- battery cables underneath the loom for fraying.
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
