Voltage Cut out to WHOLE CAR!! HELP!

[GS70350]

Hey guys. I am having a very very bad problem lately. i think its been going on for a while, but i am having this voltage cut out to the whole car for a split second every now and then, often times around a curve or when the car shifts into 2nd hard and jerks the car, and sometimes just going straight. the fasten seat belt lights flash on because they reset, and on Turbolink, the voltage goes from 13.4 or so, to around 0.6 all of a sudden, the car popps badly, then goes and does it again. Now, i got a MAX EFFORT chip in the car, and every time it does this, it erases the computer memory, erasing my adjustments, which causes the car to cruise really crappy, have poor throttle response, and bad idle, so i gotta reset it every time. This also causes me to not do good at the track when it cuts out like this, and could cause some serious engine damage from a lean out, so, how do i figure out what the problem is, and what should i look for? already replaced the alternator, so that wasnt it. thanks for all your help, and please respond!

 

[Steve Wood]

first thing is to check the integrity of the battery cables and grounds. Be sure the positive cable is not grounding on anything. Make sure the ground to both the engine and sheet metal is good. And the grounds on the back of the head as well.

Check the orange ecm wire to make sure it is good. Tug on the fusible links to make sure they are good.

 

[TurboTR]

Yeah it sounds like your battery cable has burned on the header?

TurboTR

 

[gnsrule]

Also, check the integrity of the connection at the starter. Your main power lead for the car comes from there. Ive seen the starter lug loose causeing this.

 

[1970gsx]

I had the same exact problem. After swapping tons of sensors with a buddies car, it turned out to be the + battery cable being pinched between the header and the frame when the engine torqued over on hard acceleration and the jerk of the shifts.

 

[GS70350]

Thanks guys, turns out, my problem was the same as 1970 GSXs problem. positive cable was resting on the frame and had a pinhole in it, and when it would shift and jerk under acceleration, it would contact and short out. thanks again everyone. You know, with everyone who responded to this with the same answer, it seems this is a common problem with these cars?

 

[MeanBuicks]

Could be an epidemic. I'll have to look over my car tomorrow, while changing the oil, as mine has cutout in the same fashion a couple times in the past few weeks.

It's pretty disturbing, especially when you're on a two-lane, back road, in the dark at 5:00 AM on the way to work.

 

[Turbo-Rich]

Hey Jacob

Funny, I just had basically the same problem.
Although I changed the ign. switch before I found the bare section of wire next to my header & bad fuseable link.
When mine went out I lost everything on the "switched" side totally. She was dead

BTW, I FINALLY hooked up the alc. kit I got from you when I changed the headers. Works GREAT
Tho, my first time out making boost with it I had it adjusted all the way open & flooded the you know what out of the motor.



Glad you found your elect. problem

 

[GS70350]

Well, then, I guess it is a common problem. Glad to hear that your car is running good Rich. Hey, thats great about the alky kit, how about you tell everyone else now how good it works!! : ) im trying to sell these things, i just put a for sale thing on the parts for sale forum, havent gotten much responses, i guess people are kinda skeptical that something so simple can work. they think its gotta be like, a microprocessor controled 400 dollar system to show gains. I drowned mine too on the first try. how much boost have you been able to get?
thanks

 

[Turbo-Rich]

Originally posted by GS70350
i guess people are kinda skeptical that something so simple can work. they think its gotta be like, a microprocessor controled 400 dollar system to show gains. I drowned mine too on the first try. how much boost have you been able to get?
thanks

Simplicity is always best IMO. The less parts, the less parts to fail.
That's my "Smokey Unick" mentallity towards hot rodding.
Water/alc. kits like these have proven themselves over literally decades of use in the turbocharging world. I guess ppl find it hard to believe something so cheap can be so effective.
I've only driven mine a couple of times since I just figured out the wiring thing Fri. but it was makin' about 10 #'s & my meter was showing "rich" so I'll be upping the boost REAL soon. I plan on driving it to work & "test & tune" all this week so we'll see where it ends up. I'll keep you informed. I plan on adding a few pic's of the alc. kit installed on my webpage when I have the time.