Complete loss of electrical power

[GW2]

Last night on my way home from meeting a few friends at tim hortons I was just cruising when my radio started flickering on and off, then suddenly I had no power at all and the motor completely shut off. After opeining the hood and using my cell phone as a flash light I removed the subwoofer connection from the battery terminal and hooked the terminal back up and realized the bolt was stripped so the connection wasn't very good, but even so shouldn't the car still run off the alternator if its already running? What would cause it not to?

 

[49-blues]

Either your alternator is no good or you have a bad ground-double check the ground off the battery , with the car running the alternator should be putting out about 13.5 volts, with the car off the battery should read 12.5 volts.

 

[87gninpa]

When my car completely died, wouldnt run, no electrical etc. it was the fusible links down by the starter. Ran all new wiring and links down there and all was well. Scared me at first because I had no idea what could kill the whole car like that, also it was a night in a wooded area with no street lights.

 

[GW2]

Ya, i was in the middle of a farm area, no light at all. My alternator has to be good because my battery has never died and tests fine all the time. I guess I'll check those grounds.

 

[turb0buick57]

If the positive was stripped ide take a good look at the negative too. If the connection isnt tight they could cut out like that or be seriously gunked up. Mine were stripped and she died as I was pulling into the parking lot at the auto parts store to get new terminals. Just coasted her into a parking spot.

 

[GW2]

I bought a replacement pack at napa and replaced both bolts, snug as a bug now. However now that the bolt has threads my subwoofer terminal doesn't fit over it, I'll have to drill that hole out when I get home.

 

[matcojoe]

just a quick tip for side mount bat. i always replace stock bolt with a little bit longer 3/8 course and nut. i've had the threads in bat. strip out with stock bolts. just thread nut on first then bolt into bat.and snug down, then you can tighten down nut onto cable pretty tight without stripping out bat. you might half to trim plastic on cable. small price to pay for a solid connection.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

+ cable on the down pipe....
- cable loose on the turbo support bolt...
+ cable rotted under the sheath...

 

[turboc87gn]

X2 on fusible links by the starter...The control all the power going to the car..Theres 2 of them and when your radio flickered that was when it was cooking itself...In my case my kill switch shorted out on my non turbo regal when it killed my ignition it backfired and everything died...My headlights kept working and a few other items (only cooked 1 of the 2 links) They look like a a round piece of black plastic built onto the wire about big around as a fat ink pen and about 1 -1/2 inches long...

I misses out on a date with a girl i really liked i was just out of highschool so neither of us had cellphones and my pops wouldnt let me borrow the car.. she thought i stood her up HTH

 

[turb0buick57]

I bought a replacement pack at napa and replaced both bolts, snug as a bug now. However now that the bolt has threads my subwoofer terminal doesn't fit over it, I'll have to drill that hole out when I get home.

Did this fix your issue?