Electrical charging issue (fine for 5 minutes then dead)
Electrical charging issue (fine for 5 minutes then dead)
Chime in........
2 autocrosses ago my car ran fine until the last couple runs. I had a slight and random misfire. Still drove the **** out of it to a fastest time of day. The next night I push the car off the trailer and attempt to start it to put it away in the garage. Low and behold, the battery is quite dead. I could get the engine to turn over, but as soon as it fired it would die. Soooo I did a reverse clutch drop start off the driveway and it seemed to run fine. I got it to the end of the steet, stalled it like a noob, then the batt was so low it wouldn't turn over. Soooo, fine, later that week I pull the alternator...it was missing 3 of the 4 screws that hold the 2 halves together, and the 4th pulled out by hand...no biggie, broken alternator.
Get it rebuilt, installed, charged the battery and cranked it up! All is normal. Go to last autocross, car dies between 2nd and 3rd run (trailered it there - did not drive it there). Up onto the trailer it goes (thanks to many friends pushing). Jump started it when on the trailer. All is normal for a little while then dead.
Day after.... Check things out, add a little solder where it could be used on the main power terminal crimp from alternator. Get battery checked and charged at autozone (all good). Put everything back together. Multimeter in hand, the batt voltage is checked (good), ohm resistance checked from front junction box to rear mount batt (good). Start it up...normal. 14.2 volts at battery terminals. 14.2 volts across junction box and other related charge system locations. 4 minutes into the run, voltage suddenly drops to 12.3 and is dropping due to batt usage.
sooo, eff this! Car goes to shop. Try a different battery and a different alternator ..... SAME THING! Fuseable links are tested, fuses are checked...all is good.
Does anyone know what could be going on?
2 autocrosses ago my car ran fine until the last couple runs. I had a slight and random misfire. Still drove the **** out of it to a fastest time of day. The next night I push the car off the trailer and attempt to start it to put it away in the garage. Low and behold, the battery is quite dead. I could get the engine to turn over, but as soon as it fired it would die. Soooo I did a reverse clutch drop start off the driveway and it seemed to run fine. I got it to the end of the steet, stalled it like a noob, then the batt was so low it wouldn't turn over. Soooo, fine, later that week I pull the alternator...it was missing 3 of the 4 screws that hold the 2 halves together, and the 4th pulled out by hand...no biggie, broken alternator.
Get it rebuilt, installed, charged the battery and cranked it up! All is normal. Go to last autocross, car dies between 2nd and 3rd run (trailered it there - did not drive it there). Up onto the trailer it goes (thanks to many friends pushing). Jump started it when on the trailer. All is normal for a little while then dead.
Day after.... Check things out, add a little solder where it could be used on the main power terminal crimp from alternator. Get battery checked and charged at autozone (all good). Put everything back together. Multimeter in hand, the batt voltage is checked (good), ohm resistance checked from front junction box to rear mount batt (good). Start it up...normal. 14.2 volts at battery terminals. 14.2 volts across junction box and other related charge system locations. 4 minutes into the run, voltage suddenly drops to 12.3 and is dropping due to batt usage.
sooo, eff this! Car goes to shop. Try a different battery and a different alternator ..... SAME THING! Fuseable links are tested, fuses are checked...all is good.
Does anyone know what could be going on?
Check your "S" circut in the charging system. Per the manual, it's soposed to be yellow wire. It has a 7.5 amp fuse powering it. If that fues is loose in the box, it could be causing your no charging problem. Special purpose fuse #12 in relay box.
Last edited by J_Striker; Aug 28, 2012 at 01:00 PM.