Trouble Shooting my talon

Ok, well I'm having some troubles over here in nebraska and need some help. So here we go.. My talon has been acting up (1995 tsi awd) the batteries (sp?) have been dropping like flies so bam, i get a new alternator and a new battery. Drive it around for a good day and the same stuff keeps happeneing i.e cd player will cut out, speedo will stop working if i turn on my head lights. This problem starting happening after i got my car fixed for broken half shafts and a few other things:banghead: So lets start trouble shooting here.

Alternator and all the wiring is good so is it a short? and where would it be at? Any other Ideas? I just unplugged my amp and subs if that would make a difference ?

And everytime I high rev in any gear, the battery light comes on and the e-brake light... so if that is anyhelp?

Make sure all the battery and alternator connections are nice and snug. Did you have the alternator tested? Or just replaced/rebuilt? I had a weird electrical problem on my Sierra pickup after I rebuilt the alternator. The brushes I installed weren't insulated like the ones that I had removed, so it was shorting out the alternator. You may want to check into that.

Were the lights acting up before the alternator swap or just afterwards?
What else did they fix besides the half-shafts?

The more information the better.

i bought a new alternator and all the pieces that connect TO the alternator are connected, and both cables are connected to the battery, the battery was moved to the trunk before i got it, i checked the ground and it looks fine, the paint is scrapped off and everything.. so idk what is up :@ im about ready to just pull the motor and everything and just start my damn rebuild with no money xD

oh, they fixed a whole hell of alot and the light problem was happening before the alternator swap. Erm... Crap:| I had ABS but the wreck Messed that up so they got rid of my ABS but would that cause anything?:S I took out my subs and everything, it still happened. And I have had the same cd player in since i got the Talon so i don't thing that would be the problem? but it does just "Stop" working and stuff like that :|

Wow, what a mess. Why was the battery relocated to the trunk? That'd be the first thing I would fix, move that bitch back up front with some OEM cables and shit. Unless it's a 10 sec drag car, I see no need for it to be in the back. Do you know the shop well? Could you find out exactly what they did with the ABS and why they took it out? That might have something to do with the problems, the ABS is a pretty integrated part of the electrical system.

well, the guy that worked on my car is known as one of the most knowledgeable DSM'ers in the area, i like it in the trunk because its useful there, i have more room and i plan on doing alot of work to her. but anyway, ill call tomorrow. Im pretty sure that my wreck ruined the ABS and i didn't get it fixed because of how much more it would of cost. Anyway ill start working on her some more and try to find out what all is wrong :( i mean, i wouldn't think the it would be a crossed wire or something in the CD player would it?

I wouldn't think so, but electrical systems can be funny, so I wouldn't rule out anything, and I mean anything. The only advice I can give over the net is go slow and check every inch of wire in those certain circuits. You could use a multimeter in different places to find draws and current/voltage flows if you know how to do that, but otherwise it'll have to be the old fashioned way.

alright, so here are some of the things that got replaced.. the right front knucle (sp?) speed sensor, right axle, lower/upper control mounts.

Now a friend told me to check the alternator belt because it can glaze over and it might not catch at the higer RPM's. and to check the harmonic balancer/crank pulley to make sure the rubber and everything like the rubber join or what ever it is in there is good to go... but yeah all check everything else out.. :|

Wow, what a mess. Why was the battery relocated to the trunk? That'd be the first thing I would fix, move that bitch back up front with some OEM cables and shit. Unless it's a 10 sec drag car, I see no need for it to be in the back.:nono:

Weight, balance, room under the hood, etc. Lots of reasons to move it, few to keep it there.

One issue with this common move, however, is that some people run a ground longer than 3ft. How long is the ground in this case.

Oh im not too sure, the ground doesn't seem to be longer then 3 feet.. and why would I start having problems with it when my cousin had it for six months before i did and never had a problem with it?

Your cousin might not have told you about it. Sounds just like a draw to me, although your alt belt could be slipping a little. Swap the belt, put the battery back to its place, check your harness under the hood, check the cd players grounding, and follow garretts advice on the multimeter/voltmeter. If you don't do this, then we can't can't gain any progress.

Very similar problems. Electrical failures for many years where the dealership has done everything from replace the battery (several times), alternator, disconnected Lo-Jack system, replaced transmission (yes, they said the electrical system in the transmission was causing the failures). Car is now out of warranty, and even Chrysler wants nothing to do with it.

Typically, one or more dashboard icons will illuminate. The car will start to lose power, and it becomes difficult for the electric window to close (no it's not the motor -- they've been replaced too!). The mechanics all want to go to the particular icon that is lit, or start by replacing the battery.

Finally, the last time I was at a new (different) dealership (original dealer won't look at it anymore) and they did all the same old stuff, down to replacing the battery. As I was leaving the shop, the battery icon came on and I made them test it as I watched. During several start-ups and shutdowns, the dashboard started lighting up like a pinball machine. They tested at the battery posts and watched as the voltage dropped from 13.9 to just over 5. It's not the alternator or the battery, but apparently some major power draw that intermitently happens. This virtually drains the battery to zero, where often it won't even charge unless you do a full overnight. There is some wiring issue in these cars, and since I've read two very similar problems on this site, has anyone encountered these issues and had them corrected?
:banghead: