wreckless123 Posted October 6, 2006 Report Posted October 6, 2006 Usually its pretty simple to diagnose but this one has me stumped. Drove the 91 Regal 3.8 to work yesterday. It started that morning just fine. It was one of the first mornings of our Michigan frost so I taxed the system with the heater, radio, lights, rear defogger but it seemed fine all the way to work. Pulled into work and shut her off. That evening I hopped in and hit the key.. Absolutely nothing! No dome light, no buzzer, nothing! I did not leave anything on either.. I put jumper cables on it today and after about a minute fired right up and ran fine. Even started right up after I took it up to NAPA to test the alternator and battery. Their load meter showed both the alternator and battery are fine. I know it means nothing but both the alternator and battery were replaced in mid 03.. I think I would have noticed the volt gage dropping to 0 on the way to work, but maybe not!?! Could the alternator be working intermittently? Thanks for any help.. Quote
19Cutlass94 Posted October 6, 2006 Report Posted October 6, 2006 Could be the chip in the key ( if yours has one ). Thats happened to me before. Quote
intern8tion9l Posted October 6, 2006 Report Posted October 6, 2006 mine does that every once in a while. like right now....brand new battery, nothing on. its sitting in my driveway dead as a door nail Quote
wreckless123 Posted October 6, 2006 Author Report Posted October 6, 2006 No chip in the key. Its got the old style monster looking boomerang key.. Quote
SigEpCutlass Posted October 6, 2006 Report Posted October 6, 2006 Could be the chip in the key ( if yours has one ). Thats happened to me before. x2! I definately think that could have been a passkey malfunction if yours has it. I haven't had the problem again since I switched ignition keys. Quote
wreckless123 Posted October 6, 2006 Author Report Posted October 6, 2006 Heres my keys, I think the next gen had a chip, not these.. Plus I could not even get the dome light or headlights to come on. As soon as I hit the battery with jumper cables I heard the ABS pump turn on, so it was dead.. Quote
SigEpCutlass Posted October 6, 2006 Report Posted October 6, 2006 Heres my keys, I think the next gen had a chip, not these.. Plus I could not even get the dome light or headlights to come on. As soon as I hit the battery with jumper cables I heard the ABS pump turn on, so it was dead.. Yup your key definately doesn't have a passlock chip...disregard my suggestion about that. You could always pull your alt and take it to your local parts store to be tested. If it's not running in the correct range, then you may have found your culprit. Quote
wreckless123 Posted October 6, 2006 Author Report Posted October 6, 2006 I just had the alternator and battery tested at NAPA as my first post says.. Quote
SigEpCutlass Posted October 6, 2006 Report Posted October 6, 2006 I just had the alternator and battery tested at NAPA as my first post says.. Sorry I missed that. If the alt is working intermittently, then it probably would have shown up as a "fluctuation" when it was tested. Did you leave any of the accessories "on" after the car had been turned off? If so, maybe one of them is somehow staying "on" and draining your battery. It wouldn't be the first time I've read about someone having that problem either. Quote
wreckless123 Posted October 6, 2006 Author Report Posted October 6, 2006 Yea, he had me turn everything on load the alternator and off then shut the car off and then put a load on the battery.. I am wondering if the computer can leave the ignition charged after the car is off and kill the battery. Its as something was left on but when I started the car up after jumping it, nothing was on.. Pretty weird.. Quote
Lord Bowler Posted October 6, 2006 Report Posted October 6, 2006 check ur battery connections and the positive post on drivers side strut tower also ground on transmission bellhousing make sure none are loose or correded Quote
wreckless123 Posted October 6, 2006 Author Report Posted October 6, 2006 Thanks, I will check the connections tonight.. I wiggled them and none were loose but they could be corrouded... I will take them off and clean each one.. Quote
wreckless123 Posted October 9, 2006 Author Report Posted October 9, 2006 Well I checked all the connections and there was ZERO corrousion. After the jump it has run fine for the last three days.. I am still stumped. Its as if I left something on when I parked it at work that day but I checked after I jumped it, nothing was on. I am still leaning toward a possiable computer problem. Is it possiable for the computer to keep the ignition charged even if the car was not running and run down the battery? Quote
Coop Posted October 9, 2006 Report Posted October 9, 2006 You either have a battery with a bad cell (doubtful) or a bad connection somewhere, could be right at the battery, but there alot of other places it could be also. Check right at the starter where the main battery pos wire connects to it, also the ground or positive distribution block if it has one. In 91 they liked to put those distribution blocks right under the hood by the fender or on the upper radiator support, you can always just trace the main power wires from the battery to them. Also make sure the side posts are good and snug on that battery. Doubt it's your computer or vats, that wouldn't kill the dome light or buzzer, etc. Also, the chip in the key was passkey not passlock. I wouldn't say anything except GM did/does make a passlock system now in place of the older system with the chip in the key. The newer ones have no chip in the key but rather hall effect sensors in the lock cylinder itself. Quote
DiscoStudd Posted October 9, 2006 Report Posted October 9, 2006 Are the battery cables original? After 15+ years, it might be a safe assumption that they're toast and need replacing. Old crusty cables will allow enough current through to run the accessories, but when you engage the starter, there is too much resistance in the cables to supply the proper current. Most people tend to overlook battery cables as a maintenance item. One other question before you go changing your cables. Have you tried starting the car in neutral when this occurs? If it'll start in "N," then you've got problems with the P/N Safety switch... Quote
jdcutty Posted October 9, 2006 Report Posted October 9, 2006 I would say that there is something staying on that is drawing on the battery. You may have a short somewhere. Quote
SigEpCutlass Posted October 9, 2006 Report Posted October 9, 2006 Are the battery cables original? After 15+ years, it might be a safe assumption that they're toast and need replacing. Old crusty cables will allow enough current through to run the accessories, but when you engage the starter, there is too much resistance in the cables to supply the proper current. Most people tend to overlook battery cables as a maintenance item. One other question before you go changing your cables. Have you tried starting the car in neutral when this occurs? If it'll start in "N," then you've got problems with the P/N Safety switch... Having replaced corroded battery cables last fall, it's definately possible if you live in an area where snow and salt are common. Quote
wreckless123 Posted October 10, 2006 Author Report Posted October 10, 2006 I really dont think it is a short. The battery was just run piss dead. As soon as I hit the battery with jumper cables I heard the ABS pump kick on.. Then once jumped it has been fine for almost a week. I am hoping with the cold Michigan weather to come it will show its self as a bad battery but we will see.. Thanks for everyones ideas.. Quote
wreckless123 Posted October 19, 2006 Author Report Posted October 19, 2006 Figured it out! Just wanted to update the thread just incase anyone ever is having the same problem and finds this thread.. It was the ABS pump.. Once in a while the ABS pump stays on after the ignition was off and would run until the battery was dead. I am assuming its the ABS relay but have not had a chance to work on it yet... Quote
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