Knight350

Hi Guys!

I have a really strange problem here!!
The car is a 1991 Trans Am GTA.

It DOES have an Autostarter install (so yes the vats is bypassed..)
It DOES have an aftermarket alarm system


What's happening is:
When I try to start the car, I stick in the key put in the on position and everything seems normal. All power, fuel pump charge and all.
Then I turn the key to start and I get 1-2 clicks and all the power dies in the car??? Like the battery was disconnected... but the terminal are good and tight...
NOW for the wierd part.... usually... if I close the door, (closing the interior light circuit... that little button on the door post) then the alarm start to go off, but with a reduced power, like the battery is dying .... WTF is going on?

ANY thoughts???
Short? VATS? ME?

Thanks guys!!!

RB83L69

Bad connection between the battery and the car

Not a "short", not VATS; it's a "long"

Might not be at the battery terminals themselves; could be at the other end of the cable: either at the block where the neg cable hooks up, or at the post on the starter where the pos cable goes; or where the cable attaches inside the connector at either end of either cable

Dan8289gta

I would take a look at the positive cable going to the starter, it powers everything in the car.

Knight350

Thanks guys... I will try to jack the bitch up and take a look at the wires to the starter.... sounds good to me.
I hope it's that and not something more complicated like the vats.

Any other thoughts?
Or do you think that might be the best place to start?

Dan8289gta

Thats where i would start, you should be able to grab the positive cable from up top maybe try to give it a little tug and wiggle it around a little before you get under it.

Knight350

really? where can I grab the positive from up top?

rgarcia63

Where it connects to the battery. The last time that happened to me, the positive post was broken internally, you couldn't tell just looking at, since it was an Autozone battery (that's where I was when it happened) I asked the attendant to check it, the cable and battery post just came out. New battery no charge (no pun intended.)

Dan8289gta

Put the keys in the ignition get the car to not have any power again, then leave the key forward, follow the positive cable off of the battery down a ways wiggle and mess with it a little, if you hear the chime come on because the key is forward you have found your problem. But thats just where i would start.

Knight350

Ok, that sounds like a plan to me...

I'll go out in a few minutes and try her out.

Thanks guys, I'll let you know what I find soon...
Thank you!

Red Devil

And while down there, don't discount the neg. ground either, test that as well.

Knight350

Rats! I was hoping it might be on of the 2 wires... but it doesn't seem to either positive or negative... I played around with both and neither seem to be the problem


BUT, heres the strange thing...

I notice after I tried to start the car and there is no power... when/if I push the little door button (the button that turns the interior light off when the door is closed) then the power comes on but not at full strength. So the alarms sounds weak and the interior light is dim....????

What the hell could this be?
Any thoughts?

Red Devil

Screwed up relay in one of your electrical add-ons?

Ace

iTrader: (2)

your battery is pootched or its your starter solenoid (sp?)... if its dying when your trying to click it over...

sounds more like a battery tho, if theres just a slight charge the lights might come one but as soon as you hit the starter you suck all the juice outta it then it slowly buillds back up a bit

have you tried jumpin it?

Knight350

I have tried jumping it, not recently but yes about a month back...
I will have to try it again,

I have a feeling it may have something to do with one of the electical add on too, like Red Devil said...
But it's not easy to test those things!

Kind of stuck for now...

rgarcia63

Battery cables deteriorate beneath the sheath close to the ends, the corrosion builds up between the copper strands, and keeps them from touching which weakens the current carryng capability (strength in numbers.) First test the flexibility of a new cable, then test yours for stiffness close to the end, if it's stiff replace it, my not be the whole problem, but it's not helping.

Saigon_Bob

iTrader: (2)

i have the same problem except i have a remote starter switch.. i put the key to on and all power comes on. then click the start switch and *click* power off...... then i play with the key a lil and it comes back, sumthimes after a while tho. twice my car has shutoff while driving... kinda sux

Colin91Z

I am having the exact same problem as Knight350 with my 91 Z28. Right down to what he said about the doorjamb switch. I replaced the starter last night thinking it was a bad soleniod, but it didn't help at all. BTW, my car still has VATS, and does not have any aftermarket add ons that would effect this problem. I think i'm gonna replace the positive battery cable tonight and see where that gets me. Anyone else ever have this problem??? HELP!!!

Saigon_Bob

iTrader: (2)

id try the wires

Colin91Z

Ok i feel like an idiot, it was the battery. I didn't think it was because of the whole doorjamb switch issue. It seemed like a connection problem, guess thats what I get for not checking the obvious first Oh well, its fixed now

Knight350

What???
So you had the exact same problem as me? Even the doorjab switch would cause the power to come back but not full?

And it was only the battery?
What type of battery did you buy?
Thanks for posting that !

Saigon_Bob

iTrader: (2)

waht about the batt cuz i nkow mine is less than a year old....

Dens71TA

iTrader: (5)

I would check the positive wire that connects down at the starter with a multimeter. It could be all fried, crispy, and corroded inside.

A few years back when my '71 T/A still had its original 30+ year old wiring harness I had a simular problem. Unknown to me the positive wire broke at the starter while I was driving home. As soon as I pulled into the driveway and turned the key to off .... LIGHTS OUT! No power what so ever. The car was dead.

Colin91Z

Yes it was just the battery. I drove it yesterday quite a bit to make sure that was the problem. It was. The car fired up this morning with no problem. The battery that caused all this was a 2 year old Delphi battery (manufacturer of AC Delco)

Knight350

I wonder how the battery can cause this kind of problem....?
Especially when the doorjam switch is press, it only gives "some" of the power back... really strange...

But thanks I will have to try a new battery and check that positive wire.

Thanks guys!

If anyone has any other things to say, let her rip.

Knight350

Well, you guys were right!

RB83L69 said it first, at this what it was!

The problem was the positive battery cable very close to the starter.

Looks like the wire have rubbing against the frame and worn through the cable causing the position to short on the frame!

SO, thanks very much guys!
Problem solved!

Have fun,
Fredel

Dan8289gta

Glad ya got her fixed, i figured that was the problem.

Knight350

Yup! Dan you were exactly right!
Thanks so much, I should be putting the new cable on within the next couple days....

Thanks again!

rgarcia63

No, you said it first!!!

Knight350

Heh heh, OK! You got me, but still, I owe you guys credit!