What The Duece!!!!!!!!!??????????

[SHOgun_it]

Okay, so tonight I was driving downtown. Lookin' all cool and stuff in my sweet SHO. So, on the way home I notice that the ABS light is on, when it never was before. Odd. Then, I notice that the tachometer was just sitting at zero, not doing anything. Also, when I would give it some gas, the car would just stutter and it would take a couple of seconds for it to actually do anything. Also, all of my interior lights and my headlights were all really dim. By the time I got the car home, I couldn't even tell what the clock said because the lights were so dim. When I got home, I turned it off and tried to turn it back on... but it didn't start. And earlier it wouldn't start, not even turn over. But then I put it into nuetral and it started. So I just shrugged it off. I think it might be my altenator, I checked the battery earlier and it was at 12.5 volts, so it's about normal. I was really starting to freak out, thinking that my transmission was starting to go, or even a busted cam. Please, please, please, please, please, please tell me that this isn't my cams or my tranny. Anybody have any idea as to what could be going on? I could use all of the advice I can, I told my dad but he was half asleep, and said we'll deal with it tomorrow.

I NEED HELP QUICKLY!!!!

 

[1993MTXSHO]

well maybe this has something to do with your stereo problem it could be draining your battery somehow. To check the alternato, im not tellign you to do this but I really am because iv herd its not a good thing to do but w/e iv done it and its been fine. Start the car and take the neg battery terminal off and if the car stalls you know the alternator is bad if it stays running its fine, or at least charging somewhat. As far as the abs light thats wierd unless as the car loses power the abs wont work anymore and thats what triggered it???

 

[SHOgun_it]

For now all I want to know is that this isn't a failing cam sprocket, or a bad tranny. If somebody could tell me this, I would be happy.

 

[1993MTXSHO]

I can see why a failign sproket or dyign tranny would make the lights dim. If it was a bad alternator, you battery was slowly dying and the lights dimmed, and the car started to surge because it didnt have enought power to run. This happened to my jeep the alternator died I ran it untill the battery was pretty much dead and as i was pullign up my road it was surging and kind of stalling because it had no power to make spark. I think your fine in that department However I could be wrong so done rule it out yet I just find it unlikly.

 

[BodylessSHO]

It's 99% your stereo draining your battery. Do you have a capacitor before the Amp?

 

[1993MTXSHO]

ahhh yeah the almighty capacitor, mine drained my batter when i first hooked it up, make sure you dont have any wires lei ksplied on and use terminals. Also make sure the capacitor is turnign off they way it should. My first capacitor was defective it wasnt turning off and wasnt doign what it should so i returned it and bought a new one, problem solved. Also make sure its a big enough one mine is 1.2 farads but i have a 1600 watt amp 1 farad shoud lbe ok. The bigger the capacitor though the less the lgiths wil ldim so havign a 1.2 wont hurt as long as your at abotu a 1k watt amp.

 

[SHOZ123]

Bad alternator.

 

[Racer X]

Before you go crazy about all those other suggestions...
...have you cleaned your battery terminals lately?

 

[SHOZ123]

If the warning lights start cycling and acting goofy while you are driving it is the alternator or a connection problem either at the alternator, small plug or loose output wire. The alternator output wire going to the MEGA fuse could be loose somehow also.

But what is happening and why it is not the battery is the ECC relay in the CCRM or the relay box is dropping out from low voltage. This powers all the sensors and the PCM, as well as the fuel injectors which is why the warning lights are all cycling. The PCM and the other modules (GEM, ABS, RAP) are getting rebooted.

If the problem was the battery it would not be when the car is running because the car runs off the alternator when the engine is running. Now the battery may be discharged and if this has been going on long enough ruined. But the alternator is the root cause.

BTW the V8 pulls around 20A just to have the engine running at idle.

 

[Brett]

I had the same problem except my car didnt make it home. abs light, then my climate control went 888 and ****, deadness, jumped it a bunch of times, wouldnt hold a charge, got home thinking alternator for sure. Tested it, it tested fine, i had it brought in a couple times before hand to have the codes read, but my ECU wouldnt respond to any code reader, long story short, my ECU is toast. im not saying this is your problem nor do i know if this is typcial for SHO's. if your alternator is keeping your battery at 12 volts it might be the same thing, or something ECU related, shorted wire, relay etc.

 

[SHOZ123]

What typically happens when the alternator dies on the V8 is a slow drop in voltage output. After a while it reaches the point the battery cannot stay fully charged and so kills that too.

Either that or the bearings freeze up and the thing cracks into pieces.

The alternator output is easy enough to check with a voltmeter.

After the car has sat overnight, check the battery voltage. Should be 12.25-12.50V or so. Then start the car and immediately read the battery voltage again. Should be +14V or so. As the alternator replaces the electricity used from starting the voltage will drop. But anything in the low 13Vs is bad.

 

[SHOgun_it]

Well, I haven't had my amp and sub hooked up for a little while, so I don't think that is what's draining my battery. But this is most likely a bad alternator? How easy/hard are these to replace?

 

[SHOgun_it]

Alright, just went out this morning and did some checks....

It turned on after a fairly long crank.
While running the battery voltage was 10.5v.
We turned on the lights and the A/C and other electrical stuff, and it started to run crappy, then turned off.
After all of that we rechecked the battery, and the voltage was at 0.5v.

So, I'm pretty sure it's the alternator. What we're gonna do is replace it. How long does this take? Any tips that will help us out? Also, since I'll be putting my amp back in, should I get a bigger beefier alt.? I'd like to know quickly, because we'll be replacing it soon, as in today.

 

[wuzzzer]

http://www.v8sho.com/SHO/AlternatorReplacement.htm

Also, in the future, its helpful to put the actual problem in the title of your post. Having two posts that are titled exactly the same thing (What the deuce?) is a little confusing and you probably won't have people clicking to read the post because they have no idea what they will be reading about.

 

[SHOgun_it]

http://www.v8sho.com/SHO/AlternatorReplacement.htm

Also, in the future, its helpful to put the actual problem in the title of your post. Having two posts that are titled exactly the same thing (What the deuce?) is a little confusing and you probably won't have people clicking to read the post because they have no idea what they will be reading about.

Yeah, sorry but I didn't know what exactly was wrong with it lastnight when I posted this. I just wanted to figure out what the duece was wrong.

 

[3.8Lwagon]

check your grounds first. the tach and ABS acting up along with the dim lights happened to me on my 00 tec. The engine also acted weird when i gave it gas. it would almost stall if i floored it.

 

[SHOgun_it]

check your grounds first. the tach and ABS acting up along with the dim lights happened to me on my 00 tec. The engine also acted weird when i gave it gas. it would almost stall if i floored it.

Check which grounds? Where are they? Sorry, I'm still noob with this whole SHO thing... it's my first SHO. And I just got it a few weeks ago.

 

[SHOgun_it]

Got it into the shop yesterday right when I got home from weight training. It is the alternator, I should be picking up later today.