what could be wrong

[JDM_180SX]

i have a stock 1990 240sx. with 125k miles on it.

here is what happen. i went on a trip to cali, left my 240 parked outside for a week. i diddnt disconnect the battery even though i should have, but anyways, when i get home. i go to start it and the battery is completley dead. so i try and jump it, it starts i let it run for a minute, and when i disconnect the jumper cables, the car just dies. but while it is running. everything in the car is all weird. the tach is all spastic, the windshield wipers wont turn off, it seems like over that week some electrical problems occured. if someone knwos anytrhing about this please post something.

thanks-nick

[JDM_180SX]

input? anyone?

[Anand]

so the car dies on you when you take the jumper cables off???

[I_eat_hondas]

there is a post about this somewhere, I just read it yesterday, and I cant remeber where, try the FAQ on 240sx.org or search on here

[topless@vabeach]

CHeck your battery. Take it to an auto store and have the put a load on it. More than likely your battery is shot. Another thing you can try is leave the jumper cables hooked up for roughly 30 minutes. This might charge the battery enough so it will run on its own.

The only reason I see is your battery is dead and your altenator isnt producing enough stay alive(keep alive, what ever you want to call it) voltage to keep your car running. Make sure you have all the extra crap turned off while trying to charge your battery- (AMPS For stereos, radio, lights, anything else that uses juice.

I had this problem before and it was my altenator. Once I swapped it out and jumped the car, my battery charged up and been running great.

[specialkonrd]

poltergiests?

[Queamore]

Yeah the battery is shot, This happend to me as well when I first bought my 240. Itwas sitting there over a year. I thought I was going to have major electrical work done but that wasn't the case. also you might want to check the fuses in the engine compartment just to make sure none were blown. I had to replace a couple it helped.

[JDM_180SX]

i got a new battery, it started fine and ran all day, i thought it was fixed. then the next morning i went to start it and the battery was dead allready. so im guessing it is the alternator, if it just ran on the battery. the alternator is charging it back up. looks like ill just have to take it into the shop, cuz lots of other eletrical problems are happening like the wipers just go crazy, the tachometer is all spastic. when ever i shift gears or roll down windows or even apply the break, my radio turns off, when i turn on the heater a electric type whistle happens, same with window wipers. i dunno. sounds like alot of money and people saying they dont know whats wrong. i think ima just save up for the swap and find a geo for meantime. any input would be nice.

-nick

[Mayhem_J30]

i always thought the freaky electrical problems like that were the beginning symptoms of a failing alt. at least you got a new battery now anyway. good luck

[Anand]

yup... your alt went bad.. get it changed or it will ruin your new batt... that's what happened to me.. My alt went bad and my airbag light came on... and my inside dash lights were dimming everytime i pressed the brake with the radio turning off... same crap that you are exeriencing. and so my car ran on the battery alone and ti killed it in like a day... then I got a new alt and it's been perfect since then.... to check and see if it is the alt at anytime... even when you think your bat went dead.. do this:

jump the car... let it run and then take the negetive off the battIf the car keeps running... your alt is goodif the car shuts down.. you need a new alt...it's as easy as that.

once the car is going... the car gets it;s power from the alt. and it uses the alt to charge up the bat and so you have continuous power to all you lil goodies...

enjoy!

[Mayhem_J30]

don't know if it's similar with 240's or not but a lot of nissans/infiniti's reports the ABS light going on and off as well. The airbag light seems to have taken the ABS gremlin spot on the 240's apparently.

[JDM_180SX]

thanks, is this something i could do, how hard is it to remove the belt? the alt looks easy to access. but ive never done belts. i cant really drive it to a shop. and i dont wanna pay some guy to tow it.

[JDM_180SX]

ok i jumped it, i removed the jumper cables, and it ran for a while, but i think the battery still has some juice in it, because when i turned it off and tried to restart it all i heard was "click click click click click click" so it has to be the alt.

thanks for all the help

-nick

[RYNO_s13]

I haven't done the alt on a nissan, but I think that it's pretty standard. Put the socket on the bolt head in the tensioner pully and turn, belt loosens, and pulll it off.

[yellow_jacket]

If you can change a belt, you can change the alternator yourself. It only has two bolts holding it on, one on the pivot and on on the tensioner that you would use to tighten the belt. After you remove those, (or if you can get to them before) remove the plug from the alternator and unbolt the big red wire on the back of the alternator.

Also, never ever remove the battery cables(not the jumper cables, the actual cables that attach to your battery) from the battery with the car running. This will cause the alternator to run wide open because it will see zero voltage which will cause a nice voltage spike that can fry sensitive circuits in your car. You may get lucky doing it, but it is a very, very bad idea.

[RYNO_s13]

And if anyone tries to tell you that this is a good way to check your alt., connect jumper cables to their nipples. From me of course.