well today i had a very weird problem with my wifes vert, ive never experienced this in any car before, so its like this

driving to work after lunch today it died in the middle of driving about 3 times for ~2 seconds each time, all gauges shut off idiot cluster lights shut off, idiot cluster clock flashed on and off and could hear a clicking by the fuse panel in the driver floor board, but the radio stayed on...

it did this a few more times, it would crank but no response during the time it was doing those things, but the radio would stay on through it all.

anyone have any ideas?? i dont want my wife to be driving it with it doing this, very unsafe. thanks

 

you hear a clicking sound??? have you checked the relays???
TwEaK

 

Sounds like a relay shat all over itself.

 

dam i love it when im correct ;D muahahahahaha by the way sonic get ready for a post coming up from me for lots of help lol =P
TwEaK

 

Haha, I'm usually always around, or if you're feelin lucky and think I won't kill you, you can always message me on AIM (SonikRaT)

 

that or an ignition switch......

 

what was the voltage on the voltmeter when this happened???

 

He said all gauges shut off, so I'd assume it took that with it? Could the ignition cylinder get dirty enough to cause a sporatic connection like that making the relays click?

 

actually it sounds like the alt failed to me, and he is hearing the alt failure relay clicking.

Many aftermarket radios will still work with as low as 8 volts, but most of the gauges will not.

 

Yeah, i kind of thought of that too, but he did say the car was still cranking afterwards (with no mention of slow, I know it will still crank with damn near no power left), more info needed!

 

hmm, perhaps then I might look at if the main relay failed or has a loose plug. That would also explain the clicking since it is near the trailing coil.

 

slightly over 14 volts on the gauge at all times when its running, the clicking is definitely coming from around the cpu/fuse box in the driver side floor board, it did it maybe 6 times in total today, the last 20 mins of driving it didnt do it

 

Not sure if you can "tie this in" to whatever your problem is, but, I would hear a clicking noise when I turned my vent/heaters to full blast... MY clicking came from behind/under the glove-box...

 

Check that the battery connections are clean and tight.

 

You have a problem with one of two things. The ignition switch itself OR the feed wire to the ignition switch. It's that famous single black wire the comes from a connector about a half foot below the engine fuse box.

Make sure that connector below the engine fuse box is secure. Its a black wire on a single blade connector. It runs from below the engine fuse box to the ignition switch leads. Those leads are located about a foot from the ignition switch itself. It's in a two wire connector there. One wire is black and the other black/white.

The above makes sense until you consider the radio was still working. So.......mabe it's the ignition switch itself instead of the feed wire to the ignition switch. Sort of a ying/yang type of thing.

 

ahh ok, thanks for all your help guys i have extra ignitions, so ill check wires first, then change that if nothing happens with the wires.

 

just another update, tonight it happened again, since it was after dark i had my lights on, they didnt shut off, and i could still turn on the hazards and blinkers, wipers worked and all, just no juice to the engine i guess, will crank normally no start and no tach movement, all the gauges shut off, idiot cluster shuts off but clock flashes, but everything else stays on