Rainy Electrical Problems

[Clatch]

Car: 1993 Nissan 240SX SE Fastback

Hey all, alright I had to drive through some severely bad rain on the highway; I’m talking like an inch thick of water on the pavement of the highway.

1st Problem: I’m driving through this weather and I notice the CD deck shut off. It comes back on after about 3-5 minutes and stays on. Then it shuts off and repeats the cycle again for about 20 minutes.

CONCLUSION: UNKNOWN

2nd Problem: So I have about and hour or two left of driving and I don’t want the CD deck doing this the whole time. I get in the right lane, put the clutch in, turn the car off, then I tried to turn it back on (restart the dead engine) and reset the electronics. Nothing happens it won’t start; it won’t even try to start. I coast into the right shoulder, call AAA and wait 2 ½ hours for the Tow-Truck the come pick me up. However when I turn the key over to (ON) the electronics turn on, the A/C blows etc.

CONCLUSION: DEAD BATTERY?

3rd Problem: While waiting for the Tow-Truck, a Road Ranger shows up and tries to jump start the car, it starts, but as soon as he pulls the cables off the battery the engine shuts back down. I wait for the Tow-Truck, it comes and I get towed home.

CONCLUSION: UNKNOWN

4th Problem: It’s night, since no mechanics are open, I pull the battery out and put it on the charger. Morning comes; I wake up and re-install the battery. The car starts fine and I drive around to make sure the car won’t die. It doesn’t, so I hope that means the alternator is fine. I drive up to Advanced Discount Auto Parts to get a battery and alternator test. Their conclusion is the battery is dead but they couldn’t test the alternator for some reason. All this time before I got to Advance Discount Auto Parts the car had NEVER BEEN TURNED OFF, so of course when I turned the car off, it wouldn’t start again, dead battery, I had to get jumped started to get home.

CONCLUSION: DEAD BATTERY?

5th Problem: The power windows are going down really slow now.

CONCLUSION: UNKOWN

6th Problem: When I take the car past 5k RPM’s it starts to lug and cannot even make it to 6K. It feels like I just tried to drive through a swimming pool at those RPM’s and the engine sounds like it’s over-working itself.

CONCLUSION: UNKOWN

SUMMARY:

I’m pretty sure the battery is dead even though it’s fairly new and it went through electronics diagnostic a couple days before the trip (it was dry out though) and was perfectly healthy.

CURRENT PROBLEMS:

- CD Deck shuts on and off- Car will start when jumped and drive around, but when turned off, it will not start.- Slower power windows- Car lugs after 5K RPM’s

*Also the battery is an Interstate Megatron Plus which is a pretty hefty battery for a 240SX.

[vancouverbc]

High outside temperatures can warp plates of battery and destroy it.

[gumby]

get an interstate battery

i bought an underated exide from some douche at NAPA (in newton NJ) who refused a return a week later cause i paid cash and lost the reciept. he gave me a song and dance about how it wasnt the battery and it ultimately fried my starter. unfortunately i was 600 miles away so i could only scream profanities at him over the phone i still want punch him in his face.

[ricebike]

lol @ gumby... sux to hear about it...

Clatch,

since u recently got the battery to begin w/, exchange it & show the printout that the store tested your battery & came out dead...

pull alternator off vehicle & get it "bench-tested"

lemme know what u find.. GL!
Modified by ricebike at 2:55 PM 8/29/2006