Electrical trouble

[gsfpres30]

I encountered this problem last week. I was driving home from work. Stopped to pick something up from the store, very briefly. When I got back into my car, it would not start. Lights worked (were not dim), gauges worked and everything, but car would not even turn over. I heard a clicking noise from the passenger side of the dash. After a few minutes of checking things out it started right up. Have had this happen twice since then. Same scenario.

The last time this happened, I also notice my cd player was not working. And not my gauges; battery volts gauge, clock/ timer and my oil pressure gauge are not working regularly. Some times the volt gauge will be fine, then just drop to nothing, then pop back on. Today it did not work at all my whole drive to work, but everything ran fine. I have not had any problem with my car starting or battery running low at all.

Could this be bad electical somewhere? a relay? seperate issues? what do you all think! Thanks

Steven

[MikeW]

Loose battery cable? Sometimes if there's a bad connection or corrosion on the connector putting a heavy load (i.e., the starter) on the connection it will cause it to not work at all.

[EScanlon]

Loose wires AT the ammeter or a voltage regulator going bad.

2¢

E

[RogerZ]

check battery cables both pos and neg, both ends for corrosion busted clamp etc. That is usually the most neglected item on a lot of cars and no one thinks to check them until stuff stops working. Check your grounds particularly. Lots of us look ata the positive cable but neglect the ground straps.

[Chris'sZ]

Thinking I'm haveing alternator trouble I disconnected the pos. battery cable and she died. Have not been able to get her started since. Battery is fully charged and starter turns over just fine. Just seems like there is no fire???

Fuseable links seem fine. Can a coil go out that quickly or am I over looking something else???

Help me if you can.

Thanks, Chris

[sblake01]

Your's (Chris'sZ) could be a bad ignition relay. I had the same problem about seven years ago in my 78 and a new relay fixed it. As far as the original poster whom I believe has a ZX, I have no clue as some of the electricals had changed by then and I'm not too familiar with them.

[KDMatt]

The clicking from the passenger side of the car is an issue I had as well.

Check the conditions of the terminals on the starter itself (as well as at the battery). The clicking you hear is the sound of the relay sending power to the starter, and because it's not cranking (or you don't hear the solenoid), that suggests that the power is being stopped somewhere along the line, presumably at the end. My terminals were dirty and corroded, I cleaned them up and the starter hasn't given me trouble since.

As for the other challenges you mention I can't really muster a guess (getting the car to start is more important than the gauges), but it never hurts to examine your ground connections, those might be corroded/crapped out as well.