Electrical Gremlin

Electrical Gremlin?

[FONT=&quot]Heading to Spokane for a concert last night and something happened...

Noticed coming into Colville that my dash lights were dim and went to turn them up...hmmm already cranked up. Then the ABS light came on... ok no biggie. Another few minutes down the road and OH NO, the air bag light comes on and radio turned off - SHOOT!

Just before I pulled into a Conoco the wipers we’re going super slow-mo. It was still running but not so smooth so I made the decision to turn around. Making my way back through town I lost all throttle but was able to limp into a Walmart parking lot.

As soon as I stopped, put the clutch in and set the brake the radio comes on and the dash lights back up! It was still running, but rough so I poked around a bit and it looked like the idler pulley on the belt was about ready to fall off but that was all I could see. Drove around Walmart a couple of times and headed for the border. Ran flawlessly as it always has and made it home with no more issues and was fine this morning all the way to work as it always has been

I had bought tickets to this show back in May - so disappointing.


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Did you check the idler pulley today?
While your at it check the alternator clutch pulley.
Should turn 1 was easy, not easy the other way.
How many miles on the car?
Maybe the alternator brushes are hanging or just worn out.

Lucky? Lucky I didn't end up with a bonfire on the side of the interstate, lucky I somehow made it home?

Not my actual picture though it looked liked this but worse. Had completely melted through the cover above ass well

wonneber said:

Did you check the idler pulley today?
While your at it check the alternator clutch pulley.
Should turn 1 was easy, not easy the other way.
How many miles on the car?
Maybe the alternator brushes are hanging or just worn out.

Click to expand...

The belt and rough idle was a result of a less than happy electrical system.

220k on the car. Belt was replaced 5yrs ago this January and battery was 4yrs ago next month.

Seen that a few dozen times. Hint: do not put on a aftermarket cheapie, buy one from the dealer. Replace or build a better lead from the alternator.

pdq import repair said:

Seen that a few dozen times. Hint: do not put on a aftermarket cheapie, buy one from the dealer. Replace or build a better lead from the alternator.

Click to expand...

My guy hard wired it straight to the battery, upgraded the wire/fuse, shrink wrapped the hell out of it and made sure everything was nice and tight!

i'm wondering, can this be preempted via periodically cleaning those terminals? Or, is it pretty much the result of, as pdq import repair, suggests, a crappy alternator? (or one that's gone bad and is really overcharging?)

The Jetta parts car that I'd picked up this past year had had a all those wires replaced, new fuse block (I believe that I saved it). Kind of hoping that this is the only time I run into such!

That is unfortunate and crazy!
I have been having many of these electrical gremlins, but much less since deoxit-ing every cable end I could find. It didn't start one night so I sprayed the fuse panel and battery. There was a smoke show, but it worked!
Recently the outdoor temps got into the 20º range, and the abs starts 3 beeps again as I hit 2500 rpm until engine warms up. The lights cut out completely one night in front of the police, and then blinked back on.
Anyway, I just ordered battery cables with fuses from innovative wiring. I have been afraid something will get fried. Hopefully it will lessen the frequency of periodically cleaning the grounds.

I was not alluding to the alternator specifically. I was talking about the Fuse panel assembly on the battery. I have seen many of those melted through no fault of the alternator. Though if an alternator is needed for any other reason the same thing applies, Get a good one and not a parts store gamble.

I think it is an oxidation of the terminals as root cause, and yes periodic cleaning might prevent this from happening.

pdq import repair said:

I was not alluding to the alternator specifically. I was talking about the Fuse panel assembly on the battery. I have seen many of those melted through no fault of the alternator. Though if an alternator is needed for any other reason the same thing applies, Get a good one and not a parts store gamble.

I think it is an oxidation of the terminals as root cause, and yes periodic cleaning might prevent this from happening.

Click to expand...

OK, yeah, just looking for ways in which people can preempt this situation as it's a really ugly one. I personally have not cleaned those connections on any of our cars, but should put that on my list of things to do (likely add it to a list of regular maintenance functions, perhaps every couple of years like a brake fluid flush).

UhOh said:

i'm wondering, can this be preempted via periodically cleaning those terminals? Or, is it pretty much the result of, as pdq import repair, suggests, a crappy alternator? (or one that's gone bad and is really overcharging?)

Click to expand...

I think it's a bad connection that causes it.
Possibly from the connection heating up (and expanding) with higher current flowing through then cooling X number of times over the years.

I did check a few of those fuses a while back but did not see anything funny.

Your thought about: 'regular maintenance'
I don't think I would do it annually, but measuring the voltage on the connectors on each side of the fuse with the car running and a few accessories to get the alternator cranking might pick up on a voltage drop.

Would I remember to do this semi regularly? Probably not.

wonneber said:

I think it's a bad connection that causes it.
Possibly from the connection heating up (and expanding) with higher current flowing through then cooling X number of times over the years.

I did check a few of those fuses a while back but did not see anything funny.

Your thought about: 'regular maintenance'
I don't think I would do it annually, but measuring the voltage on the connectors on each side of the fuse with the car running and a few accessories to get the alternator cranking might pick up on a voltage drop.

Would I remember to do this semi regularly? Probably not.

Click to expand...

Ah, yes! Just do some data gathering -measure voltages across those terminals- before doing anything!

I have maintenance folders for all my equipment (even my fuel storage tank!). I have a simple small sheet that lives on top of the stack in the folder that has common maintenance items, name, miles and date when last done and then miles and date for next maintenance activity. Three columns, the second two are working columns and I make entries in pencil (I had been doing them in ink and it started to get messy!)

UhOh said:

I have maintenance folders for all my equipment (even my fuel storage tank!). I have a simple small sheet that lives on top of the stack in the folder that has common maintenance items, name, miles and date when last done and then miles and date for next maintenance activity. Three columns, the second two are working columns and I make entries in pencil (I had been doing them in ink and it started to get messy!)

Click to expand...

I wish I would have started tracking things in a database a lot sooner then I did.
I have scattered parts purchased records that I saved the receipt from, MPG again from old receipts & such.
It takes up very little room on the hard drive even with all the home utilities, investments and everything else I decided to keep and probably never need.
Most of the papers were recycled or shredded and recycled.
Warranty receipts get scanned in now & the paper recycled.