Instant loss of all signs of electrical power

[BATMANs]

Few minutes ago I was sitting in traffic and all of the sudden all signs of electricity just vanished.

Symptoms:

• Headlights would turn off
• Engine shuts off
• Radio off
• Radar detector powered by the cigarette lighter would shut off

Lemme know what this might be.

The car did start back up without incident and I was able to drive it back home.

 

[nsxtasy]

The most likely cause, and the first thing to check, is how secure the connections of the battery cables to the terminals on the battery are.

 

[NSX-ADV5]

Check the connection on the battery and take it in and get your alternator tested.Kinda sound like those two.hope this help!

 

[pgilliam1]

Have you cleaned your ignition switch lately? If not, maybe it's time.

 

[shawn110975]

BATMANS if you need an working Ign switch PM me I have one for ya if thats the issue.

 

[HIJACKER]

I'm willing to get your alternator died, which immediately killed your battery shortly after.

 

[davidf]

If it restarted it's not likely alt. If alt. craps, you'll run off the batt. till it's dead then your on a rollback.

 

[BATMANs]

I was able to wiggle the positive terminal by hand so I'm going to tackle that issue first.

That was the same problem with the RX7. The Japanese cars all seem to use the same battery terminal that is cheap feeling/looking and when tightened to the max they just don't seem to be fully clamped down.

I thought if the battery cable is disconnected then the car should still run based on alternator working, no?

Or is this some sorta closed lopped electrical design where if there is a break in the chain then the electrical system just dumps.

 

[omega2]

I had this problem too, the only difference is I snapped the positive terminal clamp when I tried tightening it. I would be careful when you tighten the clamp. If it still feels loose after you tighten it, the clamp is stretched and it's time to replace the cable. Some people cut the old clamp off and bolt on a replacement. Another option is to make a custom cable. The soldering method for making the cable isn't too complicated. That said, I opted to just replace the OEM cable as it was easier to get and I figured the original cable lasted about 20 years--not too bad for that flimsy OEM clamp.

 

[NA1VTEC]

Batmans, did your tach needle jump around at all when you experienced the issue? I had the same problem before Wekfest 2, where the car just died out while driving. Tach needle jumped a bit too. Ended up being the ingition switch.

Try wiggling the key around next time it happens.

 

[BATMANs]

Batmans, did your tach needle jump around at all when you experienced the issue? I had the same problem before Wekfest 2, where the car just died out while driving. Tach needle jumped a bit too. Ended up being the ingition switch.

Try wiggling the key around next time it happens.

No, didn't notice that.

Just moments before it happened the entire electrical had a little hiccup.

Then it just acted like someone just pulled the plug to everything. No headlights, engine, radio, etc.

Like a UFO flew over me.

 

[NA1VTEC]

Thats exactly how my issue happened, minus the electrical hiccup. The power was cut completely.

You can actually remove the ignition switch quite easily and inspect it for corrosion or arc marks. I sanded my old one down and used dielectric grease, but that only lasted a few weeks before the symptoms came back.

Luckily a new OEM ignition switch was pretty cheap.

 

[Big_D]

To solve the loose battery terminal issue you can wrap the battery terminal with some copper wire which will make the diameter of the post larger and then reinstall the clamp and it will tighten up.

To check to see if the alternator is working you can do a voltage check across the battery with the car off then with it running and there should be a significant difference in voltage. If there isn't, then the alternator is not functioning properly.

 

[usafdarkhorse]

Likely not the alt.

Like others have said, check the battery terminals for a good connection. Easiest and free stuff first.

Then you can dig into the what-ifs of ignition switch et al. If it started back up, it's not the alternator.

 

[Grimeas]

This happened to me at the first meet i went to. Found loose battery terminal.

 

[Cozmo]

This happened to me once. I parked my car at a grocery store, came out a couple minutes later and as soon as I unlocked the car everything turned off. I was actually on my way to visit Angus to work on my car. So I was by myself in another country. He mentioned that the battery terminals are actually tapered.. so if you don't push it all the way down on there it won't tighten down properly. He was right. I haven't had any problems with it since. I was mostly surprised that it was just fine then suddenly completely lost all connection with the battery despite it looking normal.

 

[Quix-Draw]

I had this happen. My solution was to replace the electrical side of the ignition switch. It was losing contact. I tested it by not letting the key "spring" back to the on position after cranking and starting, but holding a little pressure against the key. If I let the key go, instant shut down. Ignition has a mechanical side (key, tumblers, etc.) and electrical side (harness plugin).

 

[Doc308]

Same exact thing happened to me with a Ferrari---loose battery terminal connection. Tightened it up and it never happened again.

 

[4AU4LIFE]

To solve the loose battery terminal issue you can wrap the battery terminal with some copper wire which will make the diameter of the post larger and then reinstall the clamp and it will tighten up.

I was going to ask how to solve this very problem. Glad I read each post before asking. Thanks for sharing this tip.

 

[BATMANs]

For those of u that had the ignition go bad on u, did the headlights, and all signs of electricity just go out, or was it just the engine?

 

[TomCat]

I am curious...with the engine running, what happens if you:
1) Remove the positive side cable off the battery terminal.
replace the + cable
2) Remove the negative side cable off the terminal (only-leaving positive hooked up)

3) Remove both cables

In other words, can the symptoms of total electrical failure while the engine is running be associated with terminal contacts?

 

[DRIFTER]

I replaced the battery ends with new ones from a local autozone i think they were $4 or $5 that fixed my issue.

 

[Quix-Draw]

For those of u that had the ignition go bad on u, did the headlights, and all signs of electricity just go out, or was it just the engine?

Hey Bat... It acted just as if you turned the key off and everything pegged to 'zero'...and there you are coasting to a stop... As I mentioned before, one way to test it is to hold the key against the ignition spring tension after you start it...if you let go of the key and it poops out in the "on" position, I would suspect the electrical side of the ignition switch... t.

 

[CL65 Captain]

I am curious...with the engine running, what happens if you:
1) Remove the positive side cable off the battery terminal.
replace the + cable
2) Remove the negative side cable off the terminal (only-leaving positive hooked up)

3) Remove both cables

In other words, can the symptoms of total electrical failure while the engine is running be associated with terminal contacts?

think about it this way, if the battery is completely dead and you jump start the car and remove the jumper cables after it is running, the car continues to run (as long as your alternator isn't the problem).

 

[TomCat]

think about it this way, if the battery is completely dead and you jump start the car and remove the jumper cables after it is running, the car continues to run (as long as your alternator isn't the problem).

I understand and appreciate the scenario. If this is in fact true in practice (for both positive and negative side of the battery), than trouble shooting electical failures that occur with the engine running should be able to eliminate battery connections as a potential source...agreed?