Car acting REAL funny...HELP!

[Mishney]

I was driving home from work today and my climate controls just shut off. I was running the air so I dont' know if it has anything to do with that but even when it came back on I shut the air off and turned it to off. Well it continued to shut off and click back on. Now there is an ABS light on and the air bag light is flashing. I have no idea what's going on. It's like my car is possessed. Is this an alternator? If it is Im going to be ****** because I just had it rebuilt like 8 months ago. I pulled codes and it said all is well. So please someone help me figure out what this is!!!!!!!!!!!!

<small>[ July 18, 2002, 07:28 PM: Message edited by: Mishney ]</small>

 

[Chrisssssssss]

Sonething like this happened to me not too long ago, and it is all fixed for me now. It happened when I was just starting off and I would hit a bump or accelerate normally and the climate control would shut off and then my ABS light would come on. There is a fuse in the BIG fuse panel that is in the engine bay right by the firewall on the drivers side that houses the ABS fuse. I am not sure which one, but it will say in the owners manual. Check the fuse for it to be blown.

Here's the deal. I think that it is a loose ground somewhere, because it fixed itself when I replaced the engine. Check all of the grounds and wiring harnesses. It is the possibility that there is a loose wire somewhere. Check all of the connectors to the abs sensors at the wheel. I however would check all of the grounds in the engine bay. maybe someone has the wiring diagrams for the ABS system that might help find the source of your problem.

I never actually found out what the exact problem was for the ABS because it fixed itself when the old engine came out and the new one was installed. All of the wiring was disconnected and reconnected so it just works fine now.

 

[Mishney]

Well now the ABS light isn't coming on anymore...just the climate control is freaking out every time I hit the gas and at night now I can see when I hit the brakes the lights are dim so if I hit the gas with my foot on the brake in park, they get much brighter. Is this battery or alternator, I would think with alternator it would drain the battery slowly. Cause the car still starts right up and seems to be trying to charge.

 

[KYSHO]

Yes it is a ground problem but to make sure you can have AutoZone test your Batt. and Alt. while they are still on the car. When my car did this it took me forever to find the ground. I found it on accident. My starter went out and when I was replacing it I noticed that one of the posts on the starter where one of the cables connect was loose inside the starter. The nut and cable were tight but the post was loose inside the starter and grounding out when the acceleration caused the engine to rock. This freeked me out and I could never find the ground but when I replaced the starter it has never done it since. Your problem could be a ground somewhere other than the starter but it might be worth looking at. I was ready to sell my due to this freek problem but all has been well for the past several 1000 miles.

 

[Mishney]

Thanks I'll check the starter. Anyone else have suggestions?

 

[pete c]

Is that funny, like HA HA funny? Or ***** funny?

You most certainly have a crappy ground somewhere. Can't tell you where they all are, somebody like sdpatt or one of the other SHO gurus can, though. The headlights dimming when you hit the brakes pretty much proves it. Every last bit of current used by the car has to go through that ground. When you got too much stuff happening, it kinda gets bottlenecked at the faulty ground strap.

 

[Mike Kopstain]

I dissagree. I think it is the alternator. It is providing enough current to charge the battery, but not run the car. Just my opinion.

 

[pete c]

not likely the alt. first off, they usually work or they don't. second, if the battery is charged, it will supply the necessary current. Also, if the alt was falling behind with too much of a load, he'd get an alt. light. His symptoms are classic bad ground symptoms. I am quite certain of it. I learned the hard way a long time ago.

 

[MDaveSHO]

I had the same problem and it turned out to be the connector on the starter (Like someone posted above). In my car, the connector (on the starter) is under a red plastic cover which can be pried off with a screwdriver or wiggled off with your hands to expose the lug.
Good luck.