Well, my car died....while driving. I hit a bump and a few seconds later realized the engine died. I had JUST gotten off the beltline. So, I rolled thru a couple intersections and stopped in a semi-parking area on the shoulder. i sat there for a while and tried to start the car a few times. no good. turns over fine but doesnt start. so i thought it was overheated maybe. so i sat for a while, and tried some more. once it started and died immediately. second time it started and ran for a few seconds. after that, nothing. still turned over but wouldnt start. shortly after than, ALL electronics stopped working (except the check engine, battery, etc, lights). Even my hazards stopped working. so i thought i just needed a jump. walked a MILE in 100+ heat index to the bar my dad works at. had him come to jump my car. get there and he hooks his cables to my car and touches the other ends together and it sparked like crazy. we tried to jump it anyways. no go. no change at all. Also, whenever i tried to start it, it would smell VERY strong of gas. my dad kept saying he didnt think it was getting fuel, but i think it was. we checked all the wiring we could reach and it was fine. no hoses were loose, nothing.


any ideas? i NEED my car for work...


(also, i cant check the codes because i disconnected the battery to check the battery wiring)

maybe the ignition module? Do you have another module you can swap in (or check for spark)?

[This message has been edited by jaskispyder (edited 08-13-2010).]

quote Originally posted by jaskispyder: maybe the ignition module? Do you have another module you can swap in (or check for spark)?

Nope. All I have is spare coil packs. Guess I should mention its a duke

The duke still has an ignition module. Are you talking 87-88 (you mentioned coil packs)? Are you getting spark?

J.

[This message has been edited by jaskispyder (edited 08-13-2010).]

Engine is Not your problem.

Likely a Blown A fuse link, or dead main power block under C500.
See cave, wire service.

Warning
Fuse link blown after hard bump? Suspect Fuse link is really blown, not old age.

check headlight work. Open hood if needed. HL is on B fuse link. ECM and CES light is on F fuse link.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top and bottom of every forum page...)

[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 08-13-2010).]

quote Originally posted by theogre: Engine is Not your problem. Likely a Blown A fuse link, or dead main power block under C500. See cave, wire service. check headlight work. Open hood if needed. HL is on B fuse link. ECM and CES light is on F fuse link.

B and F fuse link..? where are they? and NOTHING electric works. not the stereo, no lights, the door dinger, hazards, nothing. I will be leaving for work soon, but im going to try to leave after a couple hours at work so i can see if i can get it fixed or at least diagnose the problem (we are expected to be gettign 2 inches of rain in a little bit and already got heavy rain this morning....)

slight update.... just paid $70 to get my car towed a mile....so at least now its in my parking lot :P


and jaski its an 87

[This message has been edited by faaaaq (edited 08-13-2010).]

nothing electronic, not 1 thing??? then i would look at the battery connection and or the ground. If some things work and some dont then i would do as stated above.

quote Originally posted by DLCLK87GT: nothing electronic, not 1 thing??? then i would look at the battery connection and or the ground. If some things work and some dont then i would do as stated above.

the ONLY thing electric that works is the indicator lights on the dash. everything else worked fine until about 10-15 minutes after it died. when the car died i was driving, and my radio didnt even stutter.

well i guess thats not the ONLY thing. the engine electronics seem to work, albeit not the best :P

[This message has been edited by faaaaq (edited 08-13-2010).]

Remember that loose stud with the power wires attached to it next to the battery?

That's where your problem is

Like Ogre mentioned, below the c500 by the battery, I think it's called the battery or + junction block. It's where all the hot wires run to the interior/engine of the car, there's I think 2 fuseable links there check them both!

quote faaaaq 6/10/2010 cool, thanks. ill check that in a minute. i know the bolt holding the red wire is stripped like crazy. im not sure if thats it or not tho, because twice it happened i wasnt moving. but i will check anyways. i cant think of what else it would be :/

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/109358.html

[This message has been edited by phonedawgz (edited 08-13-2010).]

quote Originally posted by phonedawgz: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/109358.html

I fixed that lol. Wouldn't be surprised if its the c500 tho... its still super loose but all the wires are intact. If its not raining ill check it when I get home

That will kill the engine. Double check the power distribution post. Make sure everything is clean. Make sure the battery cables are clean. It's good to wire brush them to clean off the oxidation.

Read the posts above. You might have fixed the connection but you could have blown the fuseable link, which is the little black bit on the red wires that connect there.

quote Originally posted by phonedawgz: That will kill the engine. Double check the power distribution post. Make sure everything is clean. Make sure the battery cables are clean. It's good to wire brush them to clean off the oxidation.

I know jgro.

And the battery cables are fine as far as at the battery goes. We are going to get like 2 more inches of rain in the next couple hours and then some more after that so lets see if it breaks at a time I can check my car. Gotta go to work now lol

again...
Engine is Not your problem. Battery is Not your problem either.

Likely a Blown A fuse link, or dead main power block under C500.
See cave, wire service in electrical section.

Warning
Fuse link blown after hard bump? Suspect Fuse link is really blown, not old age.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top and bottom of every forum page...)

quote Originally posted by theogre: again... Engine is Not your problem. Battery is Not your problem either. Likely a Blown A fuse link, or dead main power block under C500. See cave, wire service in electrical section. Warning Fuse link blown after hard bump? Suspect Fuse link is really blown, not old age.

i know, i heard ya lol. i gotta wait for the rain to stop before i can check anything

look at your battery cables. Check the little wire that comes off the positive cable at the battery connector. I've pulled the wire out of the butt connector hitting a bump with a battery not properly mounted.

quote Originally posted by Red355SBC84: look at your battery cables. Check the little wire that comes off the positive cable at the battery connector. I've pulled the wire out of the butt connector hitting a bump with a battery not properly mounted.

that was the first thing i check electronic wise. didnt know it could come detached like that so i didnt look for that, but it didnt seem and more loose than normal. i think itll be done raining in a bit so i might get to go look before nighttime

bump to add....

Well, the whole lump of crap along with e c500 has completely rusted off of the car and is being held onto the car by the insulation or whatever, and that is all lol. was there a ground bolt that went directly thru the bunch of stuff to where it rusted off? its not too hard to assume that the bump is what caused it to finally break free....

yes i am still considering the other suggestions, but i have to wait a bit to check anything out

Turn that stuff all on and then wiggle around those wires and it should be apparent where it isn't making good contact. If you can do it in the dark you might get some good sparking, but if it's killing the amp, it should be fairly easy to find it with the stuff turned on.

quote Originally posted by phonedawgz: Turn that stuff all on and then wiggle around those wires and it should be apparent where it isn't making good contact. If you can do it in the dark you might get some good sparking, but if it's killing the amp, it should be fairly easy to find it with the stuff turned on.

you mean my stereo amp? that only wont turn on because me radio wont turn on. i already wiggled it around a bunch to try to see if anything caused the radio to turn back on and nothing did. i cant doo much in the dark here tho, the skeeters are insane. seems like every couple minutes you are outside you get 5 or so bites

GOD do skeeters SUCK!! When I used to live down in Florida there musta been someone breeding them nearby my house because you simply could not GO outside near dusk or you would be a friggin' pin cushion for those little bastards.... I love to shoot my precision airguns out in the back yard and I really hated it that during the summer when I WANTED to go out and shoot I could only do it from just after I ate dinner to just before the sun started to set or I would be toast gettin' bled out sitting there trying to stuff pellets into my rifle.... We have mosquitoes here in Tennessee but I rarely get bit by any here..... Mostly we have a lot of flys and no small amount of wasps.... I guess you never really go anywhere that there is not a bug that bugs ya. Maybe in some cold place where you would not want to go outside it is safe..haha

Good luck with your problem, I am having my own issues with fieros and it is just no damn fun... peace

Pete

lol. THanks Pete, hopefully i can figure it out tomorrow, or at least before wednesday.


and yeah, they are HORRIBLE here right now. with all the rain and humidity, there are insane amounts of stagnant water puddles.... i have bites damn near everywhere, includding on my legs and feet...and i have yet to go outside in shorts....let alone barefoot :P

bUUUUUmp. i cant take a break from PFF till yall fix my car ;P

as some have said, its not a fuseable link as everything works fine for a while, and after trying to start a few times, THEN all the electronics stop working.

ive gone over every connection i can reach and see very thoroughly and everything is still grounded and connected... have not been able to check for a spark yet.

anyone have any ideas that fit?

So everything is dead? Have you checked for any voltages at the fuse box? Have you checked for voltage at the power post? At the battery cable? On the battery bolt itself?

Have you checked to see if you have voltage when using the NEG of the battery as ground instead of the car frame? It's basically a game of higher and lower. If you connect your test light/volt meter from battery bolt to battery bolt and you have voltage, then start moving out and see where the voltage stops. Move the negative from the battery bolt, to the cable, to the engine frame, to the car frame. Move the positive from the battery bolt, to the battery cable to the power dist post, to the fuse box. Somewhere you will find the voltage no longer is there and then it should be easy to find exactly what is making it stop.

You need to do your voltage checks WHEN the trouble is happening. Once you get things to work again then your not going to find the trouble - basically cause by then "it works".

[This message has been edited by phonedawgz (edited 08-17-2010).]

quote Originally posted by phonedawgz: So everything is dead? Have you checked for any voltages at the fuse box? Have you checked for voltage at the power post? Have you checked to see if you have voltage when using the NEG of the battery as ground instead of the car frame? You need to do your voltage checks WHEN the trouble is happening. Once you get things to work again then your not going to find the trouble - basically cause by then "it works".

No, nothing is dead except my radio. Everything works fine until I try to start it a few times, then everything electronic gradually stops working

So start it a few times till the radio stops working and read the voltages going to the radio.

So is this a Ignition switch problem where it only sometimes makes contact when you turn the key? Turning the key a second time 'fixes" the problem?

quote Originally posted by phonedawgz: So start it a few times till the radio stops working and read the voltages going to the radio. So is this a Ignition switch problem where it only sometimes makes contact when you turn the key? Turning the key a second time 'fixes" the problem?

no, the radio NEVER works now. its everything (and i mean everything) else that stops working after trying to start it a few times

i dont think its an ignition switch problem. the electrical problem gets worse every time i try to start it until eventually nothing works

edit to make sure its clear...the car never actually starts. its me turning the key to try to get it to start that slowly causes all the electronics to fail

[This message has been edited by faaaaq (edited 08-17-2010).]

Like the battery goes dead?

The starter turns slowly?

quote Originally posted by faaaaq: no, the radio NEVER works now. its everything (and i mean everything) else that stops working after trying to start it a few times i dont think its an ignition switch problem. the electrical problem gets worse every time i try to start it until eventually nothing works edit to make sure its clear...the car never actually starts. its me turning the key to try to get it to start that slowly causes all the electronics to fail

Check the wire at the back of the Alternator, then check your positive and negative battery cables end to end for a possible break inside the insulation. The cold start fuel injector is activated below a certain temp and after so many seconds everytime you attempt to start the engine but I can't say for sure that's behind the smell of fuel as your ECM would need to cycle the pump to build enough pressure for it to work. You need to start probing with a voltmeter.

Well he has the 2.5 4 cylinder which doesn't have the cold start injector.

quote Originally posted by phonedawgz: Like the battery goes dead? The starter turns slowly?

Like the battery is dead yes, but the battery isn't.

And I don't have a voltmeter, my dad fried ours.

Also.....the brake lights don't work anymore, at all. Which explains my radio not working as I used the brake power to go to my radio

So the things that don't work at all are the radio on the same wiring as the brakes, the brakes, and the hazards

[This message has been edited by faaaaq (edited 08-17-2010).]

Hopefully you have a test light... start with the ground on the battery, and touch the positive post, should have a nice a bright light. Now leave the ground on the battery and touch the post near c500 that has all the wires with the fuseable links attatched, if your test light is dim you are loosing voltage between the battery and this post. If your light is just as bright as it was on the battery, go and start trying both sides of all your fuses, use a long wire and keep your ground side directly from the battery. If your light is dim at any of the fuses you can start to isolate where the voltage loss is. Don't forget to do this with the key on, and after you try starting a few times so your wiring problem is current.

quote Originally posted by edmjay: Hopefully you have a test light... start with the ground on the battery, and touch the positive post, should have a nice a bright light. Now leave the ground on the battery and touch the post near c500 that has all the wires with the fuseable links attatched, if your test light is dim you are loosing voltage between the battery and this post. If your light is just as bright as it was on the battery, go and start trying both sides of all your fuses, use a long wire and keep your ground side directly from the battery. If your light is dim at any of the fuses you can start to isolate where the voltage loss is. Don't forget to do this with the key on, and after you try starting a few times so your wiring problem is current.

Nice bright light on everything :/

quote Originally posted by faaaaq: Nice bright light on everything :/

Then you likely have a ground issue. Probably not the main engine ground, as its still cranking over right? I have no idea for sure, but maybe with the c500 block coming off the inside body there you lost the body ground.. I would take a set of booster cables, connect one side to battery ground and the other side somewhere to the body where you can make decent contact, use a wire brush and clean the spot you connect it to ensure a solid connection and report back

edit - just to clarify, dont connect to the body per say.. connect to the chassis, perhaps the trunk latch or something as it should be somewhat shiny and not covered in paint

[This message has been edited by edmjay (edited 08-17-2010).]

No change with a cable from battery ground to chassis :/


also, i cant seem to get everything to die anymore. the parking lights get a tad dimmer after a while, but otherwise everything (but the brakes and hazards) works fine as far as electronics go (radio doesnt count, wired to the same power source as the brakes)

[This message has been edited by faaaaq (edited 08-17-2010).]

quote Originally posted by faaaaq: No change with a cable from battery ground to chassis :/ also, i cant seem to get everything to die anymore. the parking lights get a tad dimmer after a while, but otherwise everything (but the brakes and hazards) works fine as far as electronics go (radio doesnt count, wired to the same power source as the brakes)

I'm guessing it still doesnt start though. Possibly you have two separate issues, one in body electrical and maybe an ignition module or something. May still be the same issue although.

Did everything start working again after trying the battery cable on the ground idea? If that seemed to help that just points further to a ground issue. Your best bet from here is to get yourself a multimeter and start testing things properly.