Unknown Breakdown?

[Adgum]

Last week my 99 AU Fairmont randomly broke down after owning it for 8 months, having regular 5K services and a Gas conversion in May. 170 k on the clock.

might be a pointless thread, but was just confused, tryed to jump start, no dice. yet battery was giving a good reading... It just wasn't Turning over : XD
(Interior lights, radio all working when key turned). checked all the fuses, nothing wrong.

Got it Towed home. chucked the battery on a charger.
Bam
Working the next day, no worrys.

It was very odd, so I'm putting it in for another service (almost due)

Just a weird breakdown i guess....

[WoodysXR6]

could it be that your battery terminals are a tad dirty and since you have recharged it has allowed enough current to crank over thats why all the electrics where working.

Just a thought anyway had that before.

[au2sw]

yeah, if battery is low voltage, only essential things will work when car is running, if not running then only stereo etc will come on but no cranky crank. i had a problem with my alternator at 125,000 had to replace it as it was kerput. but as it was dying noticed that when driving, radio would go out, then lights would stop working (kinda lucky i wasnt driving at night time) and the dash lights and instrument cluster went dead....finally the car just stalled and that was it. had to replace alternator then and there.....$125 later and all ok.

[BIGJB]

If you disconnected the battery when you charged it my
guess id the old girl needed to have the ecu reset.
99 Fairmont eh....is she a Ghia??

[GK]

How old is the battery? Have you tried each cell with a hydrometer?

You may have a cell down or something, so topping the other cells up with the charge may have got you going again.

Batteries certainly are funny things. Can work one crank and be kaput the next!

Hope you get it sorted though.

GK

[V8falcons]

Yeh,batterys can do funny things. hope you get it sorted ands it doesnt come back to bite you

[curtleyw]

Auto or manual. If it's an auto sometimes the computer 'thinks' that the t-bar is not in P or N. Run the stick up and down the column a couple of time and you're right to go.
Can usually tell when this happens by the engine not cranking and on the dash (!) will illuminate when trying to start.

[Adgum]

When i tryed to jump start it i cleaned the terminals with a file. its a Auto and not a Ghia. Im not sure how old the battery is. I brought the car at the start of the year from Kia/Mitsubishi dealer. When i disconnected it i topped each cell up with some distilled water before charging. And yeah, at first i thought it was the Gears. tore the whole dash out to try straighten the gear stick up XD. but yer, donno what it was.

Just had it serviced. they couldnt see anything wrong. but now my indicators are going funny.

The dont flicker at normal speed.. sometimes there will be a 7 second gap between flickers, then it will slowly speed up, but doesnt go at normal pace, yet my hazard lights work perfectly. checked the fuses,, nothing wrong there..

Very odd XD

Might just swap the battery with that from the statesman for a while and see if it changes.

(parents live overseas so statesman doesn't get touched until i get near it ^_^ :P)

[Adgum]

Originally Posted by Adgum

When i tryed to jump start it i cleaned the terminals with a file. its a Auto and not a Ghia. Im not sure how old the battery is. I brought the car at the start of the year from Kia/Mitsubishi dealer. When i disconnected it i topped each cell up with some distilled water before charging. And yeah, at first i thought it was the Gears. tore the whole dash out to try straighten the gear stick up XD. but yer, donno what it was.

Just had it serviced. they couldnt see anything wrong. but now my indicators are going funny.

The dont flicker at normal speed.. sometimes there will be a 7 second gap between flickers, then it will slowly speed up, but doesnt go at normal pace, yet my hazard lights work perfectly. checked the fuses,, nothing wrong there..

Very odd XD

Might just swap the battery with that from the statesman for a while and see if it changes.

(parents live overseas so statesman doesn't get touched until i get near it ^_^ :P)

Kinda realised how stupid some of that sounded. XD

Fixed the Indicators.. Got a new Flasher Fuse XD!