electrical problem

[blueta]

ok, I went to start my car and nothing happened. I mean NOTHING. No clicks/anything. All the electrical is dead. Radio/windows/lights/etc. If I go out and rattle the battery a little the electrical stuff will go back on. BUT if I try to start it as soon as I hit it to start it dies again. So I rigged a screw driver to the key so it would stay in the start position and rattled the battery. FINALLY it started. So I'm driving along and all of the sudden it stalls. And it's the same thing over again. Luckily I was right down the street and when I finally got it started and just went straight home. So, what can be the problem?!?!? TIA

 

[6SENSE]

I would first inspect the cable connections to the battery closely, thats assuming the battery is in good shape. Are they tight at the battery? what about the other end, at the starter and block? check for burned cable.

 

[HOTSIX]

Gotta be the cables or battery or possibly a fuseable link. Make sure battery is good first with a volt meter.

Give the fuseable link a tug from either side and see how strong it is.

Might be failing or rotten.

I'd replace the POS and NEG cable or if they seem good - take a dremel or sandpaper and freshen up both ends of them. With the age of these cars now it seems obvious that the cables could need replacing and may be corroded inside or rotten causing your bad connection.

After the freshen up use some dielectric grease to keep your connections clean.

 

[blueta]

I was thinking it was the battery or cables because whenever I would shake it I would get power back...but that wouldn't explain why after I shake it I have all the power back to all electronics. I could sit there forever with the lights or radio on and it's fine. BUT as soon as I try to start it (it doesn't even turn over at all) all the electrical devices die. And that also wouldn't explain how it just died while I was driving. I'm sooo confused. I don't know ANYTHING about electronics in cars Thanks so far.

 

[Brent]

sounds like a loose or corroded battery terminal to me. check that out good luck

 

[TType84]

ecm loses power = car dies

definitely crappy connections.. when you go to start the car and when its running there are a ton of vibrations that will shake the cable loose again.

 

[blueta]

That makes sence, except for when I say I go to start the car, it doesn't even get a chance to turn over...so there is no vibrations what so ever. I'll get a new battery and see if this fixes it. Thanks for the help.

 

[TType84]

get a wire brush and brush off the terminals

coat them with some of that dielectric grease and reinstall them..

 

[blueta]

will do, like I said...I'm incompatent when it comes to electrical

 

[HOTSIX]

Ya...it definitely sounds connection related.

When you turn the key - it creats more draw on the battery and if the connection is poor - no crank and everything will die, incl. the radio etc.

Ensure you have a charged battery and good connections - and all is good.

 

[BuickTV6]

yes thats right

The same thing happened to me car. Was just a coroded positive terminal. Lights everything would work. When i went to start it everything would die, and the clock would even reset. Once you go to start the motor, it draws more juice. So if the connection is bad, everything will die out. So i'd check your positive and negative terminals to see if those are ok. If they look dirty, take a little baking soda to it. (i think its baking soda) will clean it right up

 

[Buick From Hell]

My vote goes to getting a new battery...if "rattling the battery" causes intermittent volts/no volts, it's possible there's a connection break of some sort within the battery itself. And I've had the pleasure TWICE of having a battery with internal problems explode...ain't no fun, and it ruins your clothes!

 

[TurboBuickSix]

Originally posted by Buick From Hell
My vote goes to getting a new battery...if "rattling the battery" causes intermittent volts/no volts, it's possible there's a connection break of some sort within the battery itself. And I've had the pleasure TWICE of having a battery with internal problems explode...ain't no fun, and it ruins your clothes!

The car has a 1 and a half year old dealership purchased DELCO battery (850 cca),Jim tighten up the connections at the battery and be done with it.The cables are both originals but are still fine,at worst it is loose at the starter which I doubt.The car was sitting around for about 6 months or so,prolly got a little loose or corroded.BTW,I know because this is my old car

 

[blueta]

I used a cleaner and wire brush and cleaned off the terminals and now it works fine. Thanks guys.