JUST bought 07’ GT convertible - BIZARRE electrical problems!
10-19-2018, 10:24 PM
#1
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: SC
Posts: 3
JUST bought 07’ GT convertible - BIZARRE electrical problems!
It is late Friday night the 19th. I just bought this beauty from a retired pastor a few hours for me in the early morning today.
Nice car, very well-maintained, dozens of receipts showing all kinds of work that was done. Miles are 144k.
Tonight about 10 PM while riding with the top down, heat was blowing through the upper and floor vents, radio was playing ( via a wireless Bluetooth adapter plugged into the line and Jack that is in the center consule), the door speaker started to crackle and the radio display started to flash. I made some short videos to showcase. As I came to a stop in front of the house the headlights dimmed The idle became rough. And then the car stalled.
I then “shut the car off.“ And when I went to try to turn it over it just made a click click click tick tick tick sound. All the lights again came on the dash. Even with the key out, the radio display was flashing. I have the touchscreen DVD NAV radio.
I opened the hood and attached a jump pack. The car then started up easily. I did not mess with it after I let it run for a few minutes. Can anyone give some insight as to why this has happened?
Nice car, very well-maintained, dozens of receipts showing all kinds of work that was done. Miles are 144k.
Tonight about 10 PM while riding with the top down, heat was blowing through the upper and floor vents, radio was playing ( via a wireless Bluetooth adapter plugged into the line and Jack that is in the center consule), the door speaker started to crackle and the radio display started to flash. I made some short videos to showcase. As I came to a stop in front of the house the headlights dimmed The idle became rough. And then the car stalled.
I then “shut the car off.“ And when I went to try to turn it over it just made a click click click tick tick tick sound. All the lights again came on the dash. Even with the key out, the radio display was flashing. I have the touchscreen DVD NAV radio.
I opened the hood and attached a jump pack. The car then started up easily. I did not mess with it after I let it run for a few minutes. Can anyone give some insight as to why this has happened?
10-19-2018, 10:30 PM
#2
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: SC
Posts: 3
video attached
It is late Friday night the 19th. I just bought this beauty from a retired pastor a few hours for me in the early morning today.
Nice car, very well-maintained, dozens of receipts showing all kinds of work that was done. Miles are 144k.
Tonight about 10 PM while riding with the top down, heat was blowing through the upper and floor vents, radio was playing ( via a wireless Bluetooth adapter plugged into the line and Jack that is in the center consule), the door speaker started to crackle and the radio display started to flash. I made some short videos to showcase. As I came to a stop in front of the house the headlights dimmed The idle became rough. And then the car stalled.
I then “shut the car off.“ And when I went to try to turn it over it just made a click click click tick tick tick sound. All the lights again came on the dash. Even with the key out, the radio display was flashing. I have the touchscreen DVD NAV radio.
I opened the hood and attached a jump pack. The car then started up easily. I did not mess with it after I let it run for a few minutes. Can anyone give some insight as to why this has happened?
[/QUOTE]Nice car, very well-maintained, dozens of receipts showing all kinds of work that was done. Miles are 144k.
Tonight about 10 PM while riding with the top down, heat was blowing through the upper and floor vents, radio was playing ( via a wireless Bluetooth adapter plugged into the line and Jack that is in the center consule), the door speaker started to crackle and the radio display started to flash. I made some short videos to showcase. As I came to a stop in front of the house the headlights dimmed The idle became rough. And then the car stalled.
I then “shut the car off.“ And when I went to try to turn it over it just made a click click click tick tick tick sound. All the lights again came on the dash. Even with the key out, the radio display was flashing. I have the touchscreen DVD NAV radio.
I opened the hood and attached a jump pack. The car then started up easily. I did not mess with it after I let it run for a few minutes. Can anyone give some insight as to why this has happened?
10-20-2018, 04:44 AM
#3
The commonest cause of the type of funky electrical problems you've described is water contamination of the smart junction box behind the passenger side kick panel. If the passenger side front carpet and underlay are damp/wet, the likely root cause is blocked cowl drain grommets causing water to accumulate inside the cowl and seep through the cabin air filter.
10-20-2018, 07:45 AM
#4
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Join Date: May 2006
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It sounds to me like a failing alternator is the likely cause. All the symptoms you pointed out - the dimming lights, flashing display, speakers cutting out, and then stalling and not able to start and just the "click" sound all point to the alternator and not the smart junction box.
When you put the jump box on it you were gave the starter the power that the battery couldn't supply because it was drained by the bad alternator not charging it back up.
When you put the jump box on it you were gave the starter the power that the battery couldn't supply because it was drained by the bad alternator not charging it back up.
Last edited by JimC; 10-20-2018 at 07:47 AM.
10-20-2018, 10:02 AM
#5
I certainly wouldn't rule out the alternator as the possible culprit. If you have a digital multimeter, check the voltage across the battery with the engine idling but with no electrical loads. If it's below 13.7v, the alternator voltage regulator has probably gone south.
10-20-2018, 11:41 AM
#6
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: SC
Posts: 3
Follow up....
Thanks guys for the input! The car had not been started in about 12 hours but would not start up this morning. I did have to jump it again.
it took me seven minutes to drive to advance auto where they tested the battery and it seemed OK ( 439 CCA is out of a possible 550). While the car was idling they did check the alternator and said that it is charging but it registered at 13.2 V.
When I got back to the house, seven minutes and yhree miles, the exact same thing started happening! As it was raining I was using the headlights but I did not turn on the radio at all. So headlights and when shield wipers, and blinkers we’re in use.
And when I was in front of the house the radio started flashing and the lights came on the dash again. Even when I shut the car off, the radio screen was flashing. Of course it would not turn over and just started clicking again.
Don’t know enough about anything but it really does sound like the alternator at this point.
it took me seven minutes to drive to advance auto where they tested the battery and it seemed OK ( 439 CCA is out of a possible 550). While the car was idling they did check the alternator and said that it is charging but it registered at 13.2 V.
When I got back to the house, seven minutes and yhree miles, the exact same thing started happening! As it was raining I was using the headlights but I did not turn on the radio at all. So headlights and when shield wipers, and blinkers we’re in use.
And when I was in front of the house the radio started flashing and the lights came on the dash again. Even when I shut the car off, the radio screen was flashing. Of course it would not turn over and just started clicking again.
Don’t know enough about anything but it really does sound like the alternator at this point.
10-21-2018, 04:32 AM
#7
I suggest you get a '10 OEM Denso as a replacement.
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