electrical problem

[kouki2g0]

I'm having a little electrical problem and kind of need some help. yesterday i was driving the car and everything was fine until everything just shut off. engine died, lights went out, no voltage, nothing. i check the battery, terminal connections, and everything was fine. i have some voltage now but its weird. sometimes it would read 12v and when i turn the key to the on position it does the normal buzzing sound. when i try to crank it, it just makes a clickick noise and everything shuts off. voltage down to 0. and after that the voltage would slowly go up and reads about 8v sometimes 6v and sometimes 12v. when i try to use any electrical component the voltage drops dramaticly. like the head lights or hazzard or even stepping on the brakes. i tried messing with the raley's ground and stuff but still no luck. any help would be great. thanks.

[Arne]

It would be easier to help if we knew what year and model car you have.

But in general, what you are describing sounds like an internal dead short inside your battery. That would be my first thing to test.

[kouki2g0]

o yea sorry about that. i have a 79 280z

[zbane]

My guess would be your starter switch-not the starter, nor the bit where you insert the key; but the bit behind the key cylinder that makes contact with the ignition circuit and other things.

I had a similar experience with an old honda-it progressed quickly to the point where I had to hold the key in the ignition in the sweet spot in order to drive. Pull out your ignition cylinder and check all your contact points, repair/replace as neccessary.

[bobc]

I think Arne may have this one diagnosed. Sounds like a battery to me. Have you tried to jump it or replaced the battery? A quick test would be to jump it from another battery. If it starts and runs well, you can pretty much say it's the battery.

[RogerZ]

Check your battery cables. Both Ends. Both cables. If you have the original strap type connectors make sure one is not broken where it can't be tightened. Be sure your ground strap is secured to the body below the battery and then to the starter. Don't want to tell you the number of problems I have seen corrected by doing the above. If someone put on the one size fitzall type clamp connectors throw them away immediately. They corrode under the clamp and down the cable making the whole thing useless.

[Chris'sZ]

I had a similar problem which was/is (hopefully) corrected just by replacing both battery cables. My '76 is running like a top again and the volt meter matches closley to the volt meter in the car. Hope this helps...

Chris...

[Carl Beck]

Let us know what it turns out to be - but I agree with bobc - dead short in the battery. Had that happen to a brand new battery - it drove me nuts for a week trying to figure out what was happening... Took the battery in for a "Load Test" and the short showed up. The battery would take and hold a charge.... so I thought it was good, especially because it was new.... live and learn....

good luck,

Carl B.

[Chris'sZ]

Can a dead short come and go? Can an alternator also work off and on?? I'm still having trouble with my 7/76 not charging. I live 30 miles from the closest "parts store" to test, but I guess I'll take the battery and alternator in for load testing. Any other possibilities I'm over looking?

Chris...