faye x7

The other night I had come back out to my car after a 5 hour orientation for a new job I am starting Tomorrow and things seem normal..well, untill I try to start the car. Here's what happens.

I put the key in and switch to the ON position and everything lights up fine. Idiot lights are normal, voltage reads about 12-13 or so. Its about 20 degrees (F) outside. I click over to the start and everything dies, no power to ANYTHING at all. I hear a click when I turn it to the start position. Turn goes back to the ON position after trying to turn it and things are still off. Lights don't go on, nothing is working at all.

Take key out, do the same thing, put to the ON position, idiot lights on...everything looks normal. I don't hear any weird clicking while it's in the ON position, so I try to see if I can put my headlights up or wipers or horn or whatever electrical to work. I put my parking lights on and immediately everything goes off, but when I turn the lights back off, idiot lights come back on. I tried the headlights, I hear a weird low...almost sounds like a grinding noise, but it sounds like a short...I push the horn and under the dash I just hear a click..clickclickclick..noise. Also, the tach jumps like crazy when I hold the horn down.

Now, sometimes when I put the key into the ON position, the idiot lights would not go on. They would be VERY VERY VERY dim, almost looked like they weren't on, and the voltmeter would just barely move..would read about 8, if that.

Dad says it could be a short somewhere. I thought maybe a ground somewhere. I am not an electrician and am not experienced with the electronics in these cars yet. Do you any of you guys have any ideas of what might be wrong or where to look. I don't have access to voltmeters or anything like that...don't have money really either to be spending on my car. V-Day coming up, gotta save my money for the lady. heh

Anyway, any help is appreciated. Hopefully I wasn't too confusing.

OH, just to add the probably already confusing part, I went out to my car today and spent 20 minutes messing around with the wires under the dash, trying to track something down, didn't find anything. So 20 minutes pass and I play with the horn and I notice my horn works. (Scared the **** outta myself cuz it was loud as hell, had the hood open) So I get in my car and she starts up just like normal, no problems. Drove her home, about a 15 minute drive with no problems either, hopefully tomorrow I dont have problems, as it's my first day on the job, if I miss it for ANY reason I am out of the job. heh)

mwpayne

Sounds like poor contacts regarding the battery. Take them off and clean really well. Also, as soon as possible, you should replace BOTH battery cables. Believe me they'll look fine on the outside and corrode from the inside out.
Do a search on here and look for 'grounds', lots of info on improving grounds in our cars.
Let us know how it goes.

rotarydankus again

also check the connecters for the fuze links on the strut tower, mine were flaky , car would die lites flicker, all kinds of weird fofo

justrx8

check your fuse block by the also check fusable at that fuse block it,s brown in color . I had same problem they were i had a bad contact at .



pedro

justrx8

that fuse block is by the battery

faye x7

Alright guys, Thanks. I'll be checking those things out. Battery terminals do look fine as the battery is a sealed Redtop, terminals are virtually spotless. However the wires from the battery are probably stock and probably should be replaced. heh Fuse links, dunno about them. I replaced the main link a while back, but the top and bottom ones are original.

Thanks again.

faye x7

Maybe that parking lot is cursed. Tonight again I had the same problem strike me again, but this time it was only once. She started up on the second attempt.

Earlier this morning, I had no problems starting up. Any of you think that perhaps the ignition switch is going bad on me?

mwpayne

Try also cleaning the ends of the battery cables that attach to the car, the one that goes to the starter sounds suspect.
I bet if you replace BOTH cables you'll be fine, I had these same symptoms, problem came and went.

mar3

iTrader: (8)

Try this, too...

Another Idea

faye x7

Woah, Thanks alot...I came across that thread, but didn't see all that extra info earlier. heh

THanks

erick1120

I had the same problem when I first got my RX-7. It ended up being the battery treminals and the connectors. Put on a new set of connectors and cleaned the posts and I never had a problem since.

KehoeAutomotive

Battery terminals and wires can look great but still be bad.

Especially when someone cleans the outside of them with baking soda or something similar.

Run a resistance test on those cables and if they have much, you need new cables.