battery guage drops car dies speedo goes crazy

[dashiftyfella]

ok soo lately id be driving my car and the battery guage'll be fine then itll just drop to nuthing and the carll cut off, but come back to a roling start prolly since its a stick. today the car wouldnt start in the parking garage soo we try to jump it. the battery guage goes to a good position then i try and start it click click click. iafter an hour or soo i decide to try to jump it from the battery ground and from the little red plastic peice that the positive battery goes to. it starts no prob. but when it idle the rpms drop dangerous type low. when i pull up to a light on the way home boom all power goes and hasnt returned yet :( :( :( :( :(

[chas]

sounds like the alternator is not charging the battery. could be wiring (to alternator or battery -- loose contacts etc etc), the battery (it might have a shorted cell and wont take a charge and the alternator is trying as hard as it can to charge it, thus low rpms at idle), or the alternator isnt charging the battery.

remove alternator and get it tested somewhere. if it tests ok, check the battery. measure the voltage on the battery (although it is likely low since it didnt have enough zip to turn the starter, thus click click click) it be should around 12v. a shorted cell would give you 10v or so. with your odd voltage readings though it could be a loose/dirty connection to the battery.

i had a bad battery once that did something similar to your problem. after coming out of hard acceleration the voltage would drop (and the engine would almost die).

[ April 09, 2003: Message edited by: chas ]</p>

[hawgs]

its the alternator

[nino]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by hawgs:
its the alternator<hr></blockquote>

its the wiring

[youngcamarokid]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by nino:


its the wiring<hr></blockquote>

it's the battery

[img]graemlins/rofl.gif[/img]

[nino]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by nino:


its the wiring<hr></blockquote>

i was being serious. i too have the save problem. i have posted about it a while back. i think its a loose wire somewhere. the battery checked out good, so i am blaming it on the wires. i just cant find a loose one anywhere
:mad: my car used to die on 90 degree turns, now it dies if i am just driving straight. i have noticed though that it dies every single time i wash the car at the car wash and it dies at the same place. so i stopped washing the car :D

[Dmitriy]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by nino:


. i have noticed though that it dies every single time i wash the car at the car wash and it dies at the same place. so i stopped washing the car :D <hr></blockquote>


Check your spark plug wires.