shadow Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 I took my TGP on a 300.00 mile roadtrip and I had a few problems The brakes went out on me for no reason but now work again? The A/C had smoke coming out of the vents The car overheated to the red zone when the AC was on for no reason in bumper to bumper traffic with the AC on the car just died. I jumped it with a jump pack and it runs fine now so I know the Alternator is charging. The headlight were so dim at night I could hardly see the road. Any clues to my problems? Thanks Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addicted To Boost Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Make sure the nut on your remote positive terminal is tight. When they come loose, they can cause problems. Does your car still have the factory exhaust crossover? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow Posted July 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Make sure the nut on your remote positive terminal is tight. When they come loose, they can cause problems. Does your car still have the factory exhaust crossover? Yes it does but I never see smoke when the hood is up? I would think it was the bolt but the car started up soon as I jumped it and never gave me a problem for the 150 miles home other than seriously dim headlights. I can see if the car were left parked for a while and the battery died but I was idling on the highway? Alternator charged the battery up fine even though thats not its purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krenzy Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 ......bad battery? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfewtrail Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 The brakes went out on me for no reason but now work again? Your brake issue could be related to your voltage problem(dimming lights/stalling). Check the auxiliary positive terminal AND also have your battery + alternator checked out. Most part stores like Autozone, Advance auto, etc. will check the battery & alternator for free(on-car testing). The A/C had smoke coming out of the vents Under certain conditions, water vapor can cause smoke to exit through the vents. Did the smoke have any odor to it? Did you have the air conditioning on the "A/C" or "MAX" setting? Have you ever peered underneath the car to see if water is leaking out with the ac on? If you have little to no water leaking, the evaporator drain on the firewall(near the pass side about halfway down the firewall) could be clogged. The car overheated to the red zone when the AC was on for no reason in bumper to bumper traffic with the AC on the car just died. I jumped it with a jump pack and it runs fine now so I know the Alternator is charging. The headlight were so dim at night I could hardly see the road. Have you checked the coolant level? Is your coolant fan still operational? Going into the red zone is pretty BAD if the temperature is actually getting that high. Those temperatures can cause the cylinder heads to slightly warp. I would try to confirm that the car is really overheating if you haven't already. An infrared thermometer or similar temp measuring device is good for this type of troubleshooting. With those lights being dimly lit, your battery is probably on it's way out(see the first part of my reply). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow Posted July 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Thanks for the tips guys. I am gonna get a new battery tomorrow. Well the AC stopped working so I assume it must have been freon leaking out of my air bents. Since the battery took the charge I assumed it was not the problem but sometimes I can leave the car parked for weeks and it starts right up and then some days after a day of driving the battery will be dean the next morning. My coolant level is good. Sometimes after I park the car I can still hear a electric fan on for a few minutes? Thanks guys Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GutlessSupreme Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 I wish these damn things had a voltmeter. When I had a DIS in my Cutlass it was nice having an accurate, digital readout of what the voltage actually was instead of just the cluster gauge. I would like to venture a guess at a dying alternator. btw- fan coming on a few minutes after car's off is normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow Posted July 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 I tested the Alternator and its putting out 13 to 14 volts. The battery showed as 10.5 volts but has not went dead since . I didnt add oil when I charged my AC and the smoke coming out of the vents smelled burnt. I am wondering if the AC was bogging down my car and that's why the battery died? The turbo seems to have alot oil like dirt? There is no play with the spool. Is there something I can spray in the turbo to clean it out? thanks Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett Powered Posted July 3, 2008 Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 I took off a turbo one time and cleaned it and was very surprised how much metal shavings and dirt were inside just the compressor side.you can take a gallon of xylene or toluene and dump a bunch in the opening and shake the turbo and wash it all out and use a toothbrush, scrub it all out and then chase all the threads and stuff. do the oil return line and all that. then prime the bearing with some synthetic and reinstall it. just dont crossthread the oil feed line or anything dumb like that and you will be fine. I dont know how dirty it is, you may be able to just give it a rinse with carb cleaner, but doubt that will do much good. I dont know why all that crap was in that one turbo, but after we got it back in there it was fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Ride Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 if your battery showed 10.5 its totally junk, I can hardly believe it starts the car, that is definetly one (hopefully your only) your problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow Posted July 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 if your battery showed 10.5 its totally junk, I can hardly believe it starts the car, that is definetly one (hopefully your only) your problem The guy at autozone said 10.5 was good? He said the machine says its still good? Looks like I am buying a new battery tomorrow. Just glad its not the alternator. Thanks guys!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Ride Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 most new batteries show close to 13 IIRC, I know that my battery shows about 12.4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GutlessSupreme Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 10 volts is low, when my cars run the battery shows high 13s/low 14s, maybe 12.5 when off. btw any burning smell coming from your vents would have nothing to do with the A/C. The A/C merely cools the air sucked into the cowl when the air passes over the cold evaporator inside the car. The A/C is a closed system obviously so unless your evaporator is leaking refrigerant into your cabin, you would not particularly be smelling a burning compressor from lack of oil or some other shenanigans. btw x2 - google toolbar spellcheck totally recognizes shenanigans as a real word ftw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett Powered Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 yea I remember seeing those low numbers, tgps are weak in stock form. Im seeing 14.2-15.3 with the car on. if the car was sitting for a few weeks and the battery drains some then thats when the cap reads as much as 15.4 and then tapers down to mid 14s. I got some really bad ass shit laced up in that car though. I would hard wire in a battery meter of some kind, or a lightning cap so you can constantly monitor voltage. then you can shoot for 13s and 14s. like I said my personal best is 15.3 or 15.4 something like that, if you can hit that high you got some serious power at your disposal. you should be fine with a new battery though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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