Car is Dead...HELP

[brianstarr58]

I have a 1995 Cutlass Convertible with 118,000 miles on it. I bought it 5 years after seeing one in a Pizza Hut parking lot. Bought it with 87,000 miles and car has run great with no problems...until now. About 2 weeks ago while driving, the "service engine, abs, and air bag lights all came on at the same time. I got to where I where I was going and shut the car off and started it right back up and all was good, no lights. This happened a few of more times in the past 2 weeks...always with no lights after restarting. Sunday went to start the car and nothing...completely dead. No lights, radio, nothing. Went and got my jump box and it started right up. Let run for 5 minutes, shut it off and it started right up. Tuesday went to start it and same thing, no lights or radio...completely dead. So I went to Pep Boys and got a new battery, put it in and it started right up. Car sat for 2 days and went to start it and it's completely dead, nothing. Jumped it with the jump box and it started. Next day, dead again. What can it be. Something must be draining the battery. Any ideas.

[z34Phoenix]

the inital problem sounded to me like the alt isnt charging. and when the lights come on ... it could be the voltage regulator just takes a crap... or could be a loose wire at the alt...

[coryatver]

mine did something like this too. I closed the door and it went completely dead, no anything electric. Really wierd! I don't know what to do its been parked.

[Venom]

Sounds like a parasitic drain on the battery while the car sits. Charge the battery completely up and then put a voltmeter on it. If the battery starts dropping voltage, start unlpugging fuses until the drain stops and go from there.

[alphagtp]

I have to say that is the alternator, mine did the exact same thing until I changed it

[brianstarr58]

I had it towed to the shop and they checked the alternator and said it was ok. They said that they were going to hook up the voltmeter and pull fuses until they find the problem. Something else with this car, the ac/heater will just come on by itself at any given time. I shut it off and it might not do it for 2 weeks or a month. Also I can't get the dome light to go off so I just took out the bulb. I'll keep everyone posted on my progress.

[White93z34]

check the aux. power post. i bet it is either loose or corroded.

[JBC2005]

aux post x2

[jake63]

If the battery goes dead with the car sitting then there is a parasitic drain somewhere, it will probably draw an arc when disconnecting the battery with nothing turned on. The fuse test is the way to go.