car wont start, message center dead, broke down

[Lux]

Car started up and drove fine 3 times this morning, leaving the post office I notice my message center is dead and my dash lights, pull over and turn the car off and now it won't be turn back on. No crank, nothing. My idiot lights are working and that's about it.

Then it starts pouring rain on me when I open the hood to check fuses. Last week my tach stopped working for an hour and the day before my eatc wouldn't come on then it went back to normal.

The battery was good and fairly new, I feel like my alt could be going out but I don't understand why it won't even crank and I lost half of my circuits.

Please help im on the side of the road in the rain :-/

 

[Lux]

No turn signals or hazards either . Any ideas?

 

[My Great 8]

You're probably running on the battery. The car ran until the battery died completely. I would guess the alt is the problem.

 

[Sapperfire]

Check voltage at battery...

 

[Lux]

Battery voltage and all fuses under hood are good. :-/ now what?

 

[Lux]

Ignition switch?

 

[Lux]

We checked ignition switch, looks good.

No communication with the scil module is with the snap on scanner says..

All I have is door locks

 

[chris2523]

well it sure sounds like a dead alternator..
charge the battery anyway. see what happens.
what is the battery's voltage?
also. some bad batteries will show good voltage until you apply a large load. you might have a bad battery?

marks get screwy when they run out of power.

 

[Lux]

Battery is fine, jumped the relay under the hoodcar started right up ..battery is fine


No eatc, message center, lights etc, all dead except for door locks

 

[DLF]

Bad ground strap? Sounds like something may have been going for a while. Where are you at?

 

[andyfanshawe]

Back to basics on this one.

If there is no communication with the SCIL (or any other module for that matter), you need to check all feeds and grounds to it. If it is all powered up it will do some type of comms. One of them will have gone.
Do you have a wiring diagram?
Will you report back?
Andy.

 

[Lux]

After getting it towed outta the pouring rain I think it was a bad connection ...smh

 

[DLF]

After getting it towed outta the pouring rain I think it was a bad connection ...smh

Which connection?

 

[Lux]

Thanks guys


Honestly I think it was the negative cable end. Even thoi removed it 3 times in the rain and got nothing after it sat and we tore into it finding nothing wrong we cleaned up the end and although it looked pretty clean must not been clean enough.

Im gonna change out my ends to ones that aren't junk and keep a battery terminal brush in the car from now on...ridiculous

 

[Lownslowlsc]

At the battery?

 

[Lux]

At the battery?

I guess. Its working for now so well see

 

[unity]

I would replace those connectors if you have not. Also, a good voltage reading does not mean a good amperage rating. A bad alt can kill a good battery. I had a battery read 11.5 volts and got squat for starting because the amperage capacity was shot. Just imagine starting a car on one 9-volt and two AA batteries. Thats 12 volts, but not enough amperage.

 

[98lincmk7lsc]

I would replace those connectors if you have not. Also, a good voltage reading does not mean a good amperage rating. A bad alt can kill a good battery. I had a battery read 11.5 volts and got squat for starting because the amperage capacity was shot. Just imagine starting a car on one 9-volt and two AA batteries. Thats 12 volts, but not enough amperage.

What if you add another AA?

 

[ford nut]

Thanks guys


Honestly I think it was the negative cable end. Even thoi removed it 3 times in the rain and got nothing after it sat and we tore into it finding nothing wrong we cleaned up the end and although it looked pretty clean must not been clean enough.

Im gonna change out my ends to ones that aren't junk and keep a battery terminal brush in the car from now on...ridiculous

I think your right, factory ends suck and cause headaches.
Sure sounds like a bad connection, these car can suck at times.

 

[Sapperfire]

My next suggestion was to check the negative battery terminal connector, if you still have the factory style, they tend to break right where it's bent. I had to replace mine because of it cracking from removing it a lot
I now have the painted lead ones that are about $8 a set at Advance. You wouldn't think it, but just that little mod saves a headache and cleans the bay up some. Extra room in the new style connectors is nice when you add power leads