Car turns off while driving

[jhuman]

So this past weekend im drivng around and my 03 sentra se-r looses all power for a split second then comes back on. This happened a few more times throughout the night and then the car just shuts off completely while I'm stopped at a red light. I take the key out and restart the car and at first nothing, after a couple of tries it comes back on. The same thing happens the next morning on monday (first looses power for split second, then car would completely shut off at a light). I got the starting system checked at advanced auto parts and the battery, starter and alternator are all working normally. I've searched this site as well as other forums for answers and have been seeing stuff about a faulty ignition switch. Any ideas? If it is the ignition switch, how difficult is that to replace? any tutorials?

[06_blkout]

When you restart the car, does the motor at least turn over, or does it do nothing? I'm not sure if you're talking about engine or electrical power.

[jhuman]

yeh when i restart the car it comes back on completely

[06_blkout]

I mean, like when the car cuts off you say when you restart it it does nothing, nothing as in no battery power, or the engine cranks but won't start?

[jhuman]

when the car cut off the first time (saturday night) and I tried to restart the car there was power but the engine didn't turn over. After a couple of tries it finally came on normally and there were no other problems as I was driving the rest of the night. When the car shut off again at a stop, it was on monday. This time when I tried to restart the car it came on normally the first time i turned the key. Power and everything. The car hasn't done it since that day but then again I haven't been driving it that much during the week as I did during the weekend. hope this clears things up

[06_blkout]

Thanks, like you said the ignition switch could be faulty, or could also be a relay starting to go bad.

[jhuman]

Alright so I go to start the car this morning (haven't used it since last night) and i turn the key but the engine doesn't turn over. The lights come on but the engine doesn't turn. I keep trying to get it on by turning the key in the ignition and then all the power cuts off and stays off. I tried jiggling the key around a few times and the power came back on but the engine isn't turning over now...

[jhuman]

Ok so I think the car has been having troubles because of the connection at the starter. I kind of had a similar problem a couple months ago and when I took it to the mechanic at that time the problem was with the connector that went to the starter. They didn't have a real replacement connector so they used this cheap little pin thing to replace the connector as mentioned in one of my previous posts (car-wont-start-t545982.html). So, this afternoon I pushed in the wire that goes to the starter just to make sure the connection was tight and the car has been starting normally again. Does anyone know the replacement connector part and where I could order it from? It seems like the thing the mechanic used as a replacement connector isn't keep the wire in place.

[06_blkout]

Wow man, is it the big wire or one of the little wires? Any way to take a pic?

[jhuman]

Alright so it turns out a loose connection at the starter wasn't the problem. The culprit may have been my old negative battery terminal. There was some pretty good corrosion that I didn't notice. I also the didn't realize that the terminal became useless because the bolt could no longer be tightened properly. You could just pull it right off. I took it to advance auto parts and replaced it with a new one and it's not going anywhere. Car has been working normally....for now.... but I am highly skeptical. My car is like a teenage girl. In any case here is a link to the video of what was happening before. I'll let you guys know if it starts happening again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2spUT7R ... e=youtu.be