All electrical power went out except for ignition and starter

[rbduck]

I have a 1990 240sx. I was coming home this evening... Suddenly..EVERYTHING electrical went off just like flipping a switch. I mean everything. dashboard..lights..heaterfan...radio.!!!! It didn't go out gradually like it would if the altenator went bad and the battery started dying... It all went off ...as I said ..like flipping a switch...Now...I'm an electronics tech... I'm pretty sure the altenator is either bad or a wire might be bad because (oh yea, the starter works and the motor runs) when I measure at the battery with the car running, I'm getting maybe 12.6 volts. No more than with the engine not running.

Has anyone ever seen a problem like this? I've had an altenator go bad on this car a few years back and the battery slowly died and got me home ok.But this is strange....Nothing electrical works...

Thank you in advance for any help....I've not done any real looking yet because it was dark when I got home... I'm trying to get through until Saturday.....

[rbduck]

If this happens to you... replace the 75 amp fuse in the box next to the radiator overflow tank.....musta been my bass amp....going straight to the battery with it now...fused of course

[virus77]

you were running your stereo amp from the cars main fuse? instead of the positive terminal.

[sr20-thoj]

I am having that same problem with my car.. everything is dead. but the car starts fine but its running on the battery only.. I thought it was the 75 amp fuse.. bought a new one.. and now its fine.. but still no sign of electrical anywhere.. so now car is just sitting n the garage.. sucks..

[sr20-thoj]

any ideas??

[virus77]

Check the two plugs going into the red plastic female plug which is connected to your positive battery terminal.

[sr20-thoj]

Check the two plugs going into the red plastic female plug which is connected to your positive battery terminal.

I was told to do that.. which i did.. took them off cleaned them.. plugged it back.. still nothing at all..

[sr20-thoj]

anyone with any other ideas?

[sr20-thoj]

still no ideas?

[C - ROD]

did u check the main power fuse

[Leash]

We had a problem like that with my boyfriends 240, everything went out but after a day to two everything just turn back on. I have a similar thing that could possibility be the same thing in my 240, the whole rear hatch (windshield wiper and de-froster) would just stop working for days and once in a full moon it would start up again, but after pulling it apart I fould a bad wire.

That could be a possibility but where it might be on the car I'm not sure, but you could probably download a wiring diagram off the net and then just pin point possiblilities and search.