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#1
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Unhappy Neon in the rain
Hi all,
I've seen similar problems like this described, but none exactly like this. I have a '98 Neon that gets very unhappy when it's wet. When it's wet, if I try to start it, the lights go dim, the radio cuts out, and the starter just "clunks" like the battery is completely dead. At first I thought it was a linkage thing because I could normally get it started by holding the key to start and wiggling the automatic shifter in park or neutral. Then I realized I could also get it to start when the battery was acting dead by simply flicking the lights on and off a couple of times. It's like there's some poor connection somewhere that's shorting out and flicking the lights dries it out. Prior to starting the car however, the lights, radio, and internal electronics work fine. Another strange behavior is that sometimes (not always) when driving when wet the engine runs fine (no misses, surges, etc. that I'd expect if it was a wires or cap issue) but the electronics will just die for half a second. It's like I turned the key off: radio goes out, speedometer drops to zero, abs and break lights come on. Very unnerving. I'm certain the two are somehow connected but I don't know where to look. The only obvious underhood thing is the positive battery terminal is corroded. The charge is fine, but even so, I don't think corrosion could account for all of this. It seems like there's a short some where. Thoughts on where to look? -Mark |
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#2
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Mark Juric wrote:
> Hi all, > I've seen similar problems like this described, but none exactly like > this. I have a '98 Neon that gets very unhappy when it's wet. When > it's wet, if I try to start it, the lights go dim, the radio cuts out, > and the starter just "clunks" like the battery is completely dead. At > first I thought it was a linkage thing because I could normally get it > started by holding the key to start and wiggling the automatic shifter > in park or neutral. Then I realized I could also get it to start when > the battery was acting dead by simply flicking the lights on and off a > couple of times. It's like there's some poor connection somewhere > that's shorting out and flicking the lights dries it out. > Prior to starting the car however, the lights, radio, and internal > electronics work fine. > > Another strange behavior is that sometimes (not always) when driving > when wet the engine runs fine (no misses, surges, etc. that I'd expect > if it was a wires or cap issue) but the electronics will just die for > half a second. It's like I turned the key off: radio goes out, > speedometer drops to zero, abs and break lights come on. Very > unnerving. I'm certain the two are somehow connected but I don't know > where to look. > > The only obvious underhood thing is the positive battery terminal is > corroded. The charge is fine, but even so, I don't think corrosion > could account for all of this. It seems like there's a short some > where. Thoughts on where to look? > > -Mark Yes, the corrision could be causing the problem. Enough current can flow through the corrosion to run the accessories, but the current drain from starting is hindered by the corrosion, which acts like a resistor in series with the strarter. Also would look at all of the ground points and make sure they are not corroded, and all of the connectors to make sure the contacts within are not corroded. |
#3
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Mark Juric wrote:
> Hi all, > I've seen similar problems like this described, but none exactly like > this. I have a '98 Neon that gets very unhappy when it's wet. When > it's wet, if I try to start it, the lights go dim, the radio cuts out, > and the starter just "clunks" like the battery is completely dead. At > first I thought it was a linkage thing because I could normally get it > started by holding the key to start and wiggling the automatic shifter > in park or neutral. Then I realized I could also get it to start when > the battery was acting dead by simply flicking the lights on and off a > couple of times. It's like there's some poor connection somewhere > that's shorting out and flicking the lights dries it out. > Prior to starting the car however, the lights, radio, and internal > electronics work fine. > > Another strange behavior is that sometimes (not always) when driving > when wet the engine runs fine (no misses, surges, etc. that I'd expect > if it was a wires or cap issue) but the electronics will just die for > half a second. It's like I turned the key off: radio goes out, > speedometer drops to zero, abs and break lights come on. Very > unnerving. I'm certain the two are somehow connected but I don't know > where to look. > > The only obvious underhood thing is the positive battery terminal is > corroded. The charge is fine, but even so, I don't think corrosion > could account for all of this. It seems like there's a short some > where. Thoughts on where to look? > > -Mark Yes, the corrision could be causing the problem. Enough current can flow through the corrosion to run the accessories, but the current drain from starting is hindered by the corrosion, which acts like a resistor in series with the strarter. Also would look at all of the ground points and make sure they are not corroded, and all of the connectors to make sure the contacts within are not corroded. |
#4
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your battery is no good, replace it
"Mark Juric" > wrote in message om... > Hi all, > I've seen similar problems like this described, but none exactly like > this. I have a '98 Neon that gets very unhappy when it's wet. When > it's wet, if I try to start it, the lights go dim, the radio cuts out, > and the starter just "clunks" like the battery is completely dead. At > first I thought it was a linkage thing because I could normally get it > started by holding the key to start and wiggling the automatic shifter > in park or neutral. Then I realized I could also get it to start when > the battery was acting dead by simply flicking the lights on and off a > couple of times. It's like there's some poor connection somewhere > that's shorting out and flicking the lights dries it out. > Prior to starting the car however, the lights, radio, and internal > electronics work fine. > > Another strange behavior is that sometimes (not always) when driving > when wet the engine runs fine (no misses, surges, etc. that I'd expect > if it was a wires or cap issue) but the electronics will just die for > half a second. It's like I turned the key off: radio goes out, > speedometer drops to zero, abs and break lights come on. Very > unnerving. I'm certain the two are somehow connected but I don't know > where to look. > > The only obvious underhood thing is the positive battery terminal is > corroded. The charge is fine, but even so, I don't think corrosion > could account for all of this. It seems like there's a short some > where. Thoughts on where to look? > > -Mark |
#5
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your battery is no good, replace it
"Mark Juric" > wrote in message om... > Hi all, > I've seen similar problems like this described, but none exactly like > this. I have a '98 Neon that gets very unhappy when it's wet. When > it's wet, if I try to start it, the lights go dim, the radio cuts out, > and the starter just "clunks" like the battery is completely dead. At > first I thought it was a linkage thing because I could normally get it > started by holding the key to start and wiggling the automatic shifter > in park or neutral. Then I realized I could also get it to start when > the battery was acting dead by simply flicking the lights on and off a > couple of times. It's like there's some poor connection somewhere > that's shorting out and flicking the lights dries it out. > Prior to starting the car however, the lights, radio, and internal > electronics work fine. > > Another strange behavior is that sometimes (not always) when driving > when wet the engine runs fine (no misses, surges, etc. that I'd expect > if it was a wires or cap issue) but the electronics will just die for > half a second. It's like I turned the key off: radio goes out, > speedometer drops to zero, abs and break lights come on. Very > unnerving. I'm certain the two are somehow connected but I don't know > where to look. > > The only obvious underhood thing is the positive battery terminal is > corroded. The charge is fine, but even so, I don't think corrosion > could account for all of this. It seems like there's a short some > where. Thoughts on where to look? > > -Mark |
#6
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"Mark Juric" > wrote in message om... > Hi all, > The only obvious underhood thing is the positive battery terminal is > corroded. The charge is fine, but even so, I don't think corrosion > could account for all of this. It seems like there's a short some > where. Thoughts on where to look? > > -Mark Have you checked the individual cells? The battery itself may have an intermittent internal short. I gather you tested the battery also under load? But rain alone suggests, in the simplest case, wires vulnerable to shorting, that is, the rain acts like a shorting wire. Can't see the rain affecting the battery unless there is some crack in the case. Is there an electronic test you can have someone do which would evaluate a lot of your electrics? On old cars, I would suspect the voltage regulator. That might also might be getting the positive terminal by putting out too much juice at times. Is that correct, fellows? Just some wild guesses on my part. I'm not a mechanic. |
#7
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"Mark Juric" > wrote in message om... > Hi all, > The only obvious underhood thing is the positive battery terminal is > corroded. The charge is fine, but even so, I don't think corrosion > could account for all of this. It seems like there's a short some > where. Thoughts on where to look? > > -Mark Have you checked the individual cells? The battery itself may have an intermittent internal short. I gather you tested the battery also under load? But rain alone suggests, in the simplest case, wires vulnerable to shorting, that is, the rain acts like a shorting wire. Can't see the rain affecting the battery unless there is some crack in the case. Is there an electronic test you can have someone do which would evaluate a lot of your electrics? On old cars, I would suspect the voltage regulator. That might also might be getting the positive terminal by putting out too much juice at times. Is that correct, fellows? Just some wild guesses on my part. I'm not a mechanic. |
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