1998 Chevy Prism Engine problem

Hello!

My 1998 prizm seems to be having a problem. When I star the vehicle it
seems to be fine, when I turn on the lights, the engine stops. If I
have the AC on, the car will flux between 1000 and 3000 RPM. then die
again when lights are put on. If the lights are off and the AC is off,
no problems.

Does this sound like an alternator going bad?

Thanks!!

Yes
> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Hello!
>
> My 1998 prizm seems to be having a problem. When I star the vehicle it
> seems to be fine, when I turn on the lights, the engine stops. If I
> have the AC on, the car will flux between 1000 and 3000 RPM. then die
> again when lights are put on. If the lights are off and the AC is off,
> no problems.
>
> Does this sound like an alternator going bad?
>
> Thanks!!
>
>



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On 22 Jul 2005 18:24:15 -0700, wrote:

>Hello!
>
>My 1998 prizm seems to be having a problem. When I star the vehicle it
>seems to be fine, when I turn on the lights, the engine stops. If I
>have the AC on, the car will flux between 1000 and 3000 RPM. then die
>again when lights are put on. If the lights are off and the AC is off,
>no problems.
>
>Does this sound like an alternator going bad?
>
>Thanks!!

This doesn't sound like the alternator to me. Even if the alternator
was dead and off the car if the battery had enough power to start the
engine it should keep it running for a little while with the lights
on.

Does the Prizm have two positive cables coming off the battery
(sandwiched together)? If it does remove them both, separate them and
clean the heck out of them.

If this isn't the problem then I would suspect a bad ground somewhere
or problems in the main power feed (loose connection somewhere that
gets overstressed by the lights coming on). Start checking ground and
B+ connections around the battery.

Steve B.

wrote:
> Hello!
>
> My 1998 prizm seems to be having a problem. When I star the vehicle it
> seems to be fine, when I turn on the lights, the engine stops. If I
> have the AC on, the car will flux between 1000 and 3000 RPM. then die
> again when lights are put on. If the lights are off and the AC is off,
> no problems.
>
> Does this sound like an alternator going bad?

No.

First verify that your battery terminals, posts, and wires are clean
and intact.

Then I would continue by locating the following ground wires/10mm head
screws and cleaning, checking for breaks, and retightening them:

Engine ground at front of engine just to the left of where the intake
manifold flange and head meet (assuming the 98 Prizm is the newer
1ZZ-FE engine)

Headlight switch ground in the lower driver's kick panel area behind
trim

Body ground in passenger kick panel area behind trim

Ground, front left fender near the headlight housing

IF you are also experiencing problems with the headlights or DRLs or
the blue highbeam indicator light is on all of the time, look up behind
the inside fusebox (driver's knee bolster in dash)for a small junction
connector that has both White/Black and Red/Yellow wires going to it.
See if this connector looks overheated.

_________________________

And if you have a highly modified car alarm with an engine kill
function that is tied into the headlight switch, then look there as
well (obvious)

Toyota MDT in MO

Shep wrote:
> Yes
> > wrote in message
> ups.com...
> > Hello!
> >
> > My 1998 prizm seems to be having a problem. When I star the vehicle it
> > seems to be fine, when I turn on the lights, the engine stops. If I
> > have the AC on, the car will flux between 1000 and 3000 RPM. then die
> > again when lights are put on. If the lights are off and the AC is off,
> > no problems.
> >
> > Does this sound like an alternator going bad?
> >
> > Thanks!!

If the OP's 98 Prizm is equipped with the Delco CS (crap suck)
alternator then I would not be surprised if it was bad. But atleast
when they fail there is a high probability that the charge light will
come on, solving the mystery.

I haven't seen one cause such fluky behavior. If it was a case of
battery system voltage dropping below a certain threshold with the
lights on, I would think that eventually the car would stop running
regardless of battery load. This sounds more like a bad ECM or
DRL/headlight ground to me. I don't know what to make of the A/C
related idle problem, short of bad ECM ground or a combination of
problems.

Toyota MDT in MO

Hmm, thnk you all for the responses! Now, the bad ground and DRL might
be an answer... a while back my DRL quit working..might have been a
clue, I will check that all out and report back!

Thanks!!