Blue Devil 7

I am trying to find out what might be causing this very frustrating electrical problem. My car will die at random times, but almost always associated with an electrical load. Most of the time it kills the car when the car is cold and I put it in reverse. It will also do it sometimes when the car is hot if I put it in reverse. The car has also died when I was operating the sunroof, when the auto seatbelt was moving, and for seemingly no f&$#ing reason. I have replaced the reverse switch once and it seemed to help for a while, but now it's back and the car is dying with an alarmingly increasing frequency. I just took the car for a drive and had to REstart the car five times to get it out of my driveway. I can't take this anymore! Does anyone have any idea where I can start diagnosing this?!? I'm thinking possible suspects might be grounding problems, voltage regulator, alternator, aliens........Any other suggestions?

Icemark

the reverse switch would have nothing to do with your problem.

when the car "dies" do all the electrics fail (the head lights stop working, the horn stops working, the clock looses memory, engine stops running, Etc)?

Without any more info than you posted I would be looking at bad battery connection, and or main fuse-underhood fuse box connections.

Blue Devil 7

When I say it dies, it's like someone turned off the ignition and took out the key. When I turn the key to "off" and back the car will restart like nothing was wrong.

Icemark

Do the lights still work when that happens?

Blue Devil 7

I'm not sure about the headlights and stuff, but the dash and idiot lights go off, and I'm pretty sure the radio shuts off too. I'll have to try it again and see if there is any aux power after it dies.

Icemark

If everything fails including the lights, then you are looking at a bad alt and battery/battery connections or a bad main fuse connection at the underhood fuse box.

If still the lights work (as I suspect), then its probably just a loose plug or connection at the underhood fuse box or ignition switch.

Blue Devil 7

Those are all good things to check, but why would a loose connection like that kill the car when I put it in reverse and other electrical loads like turning on the headlights don't?

Icemark

well we are trying to determin where the problem is.

I had one customer back in 88 that had his T2 into the dealer 6 times, for the engine just dieing while driving. The dealer under warrenty replaced the ECU twice, the CAS, the underhood fuse box, the engine wiring harness and a couple other things.

But I figured the problem out in about 15 minutes... he had a loose plug/connector on the main relay.

See the first thing I did was trace down if it was an engine problem or a battery/charging problem.

So the answers to what I am asking determin that same thing.

I suspect that it is a battery voltage/charging system or loose main fuse connection, so that anytime there is a additional drain on the electrical it drops the voltage enough to kill everything. The other end could be a bad BAC or something like that.

BUT WE ARE NOT GETTING ANYWHERE WITHOUT YOU TESTING A COUPLE OF THINGS... LIKE IF THE LIGHTS ARE STILL WORKING OR THE VOLTAGE ON THE VOLTMETER.

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

How's the idle? Car die at idle with the A/C is on?

Kim

There is a plug coming to or from the underhood fusebox, it a single black heavy gauge wire.
Check it for corrosion, my car did the same **** as yours a while back

Rumblee

Ive had to diagnose problems exactly like this at work. They are almost always a bad ground. Usually a fairly major one. Check all your major grounds. Use a multimeter and check continuity while moving the ground wire you are checking. It could be corroded, rubbed through, or just loose.

Blue Devil 7

After a week I finally had some time to mess with the car and I think I found it! It's the ignition switch. If I put the key in the car and turn it to position 1, the radio and the open-door beeper come on. If I turn it to position 2 all of the idiot lights and the volt meter come on. Past position 2 should be the spring loaded part that engages the starter, but on mine there is a little dead spot right before the key hits the resistance for the starter. When I hit the dead spot the idoit lights and volt meter go dead. I noticed it after taking the car for a drive, and I went to turn it off and barley touched the key and motor died. I tried everything I could to make that car die. I was sitting in my garage with the brights on, the radio BLASTING, the fan on high, and moving the sunroof back while putting the car in reverse all at the same time. The electrical does seem a little weak though. With the car idling and the lights a nd radio on the volt meter shows just a hair over 12v. While driving, it was closer to 14v. The car idles at 700 with the lights off and drops a tiny bit when I turn the lights on. When I turn the AC on it kicks up to 900. Who's got a good link on how to replace the ignition switch? Oh and there used to be a good thread on here about how to reinforce the grounds, where did that go? i still need to do that to so hopefully it will fix my 3500rpm glitch.