PEARL0890

I'm having some problems that I think are electrical. started off with my temp gauge going wacko. it goes all the way to the red, then gradually goes back down to normal temperature. then it gradually goes back up, then back down. it's been doing that for about a week. yesterday, after the car had sat all night, i go out to leave and it wont crank. the battery was almost dead, so i had a jump and it cranked right up and i went on my way. 3 hours later i go to leave where i was, and it did the same thing. miraculously, i got it cranked up. the starter barely turned over but just barely enough to where i got it running. so at this point, i'm thinking my alternator so i go and get it tested and its fine, battery is fine too. I forgot to add that everytime i try to crank it, my radio resets itself and i have reprogram my channels everytime i barely get my car cranked up. any ideas????

PEARL0890

anyone???

old_master

Check all battery cables, positive and negative, from end to end. Make sure connections are clean and tight. Inspect the cables closely. If there are any spots that have worn through the insulation, corrosion will form and destroy the cable, replace the cable.

PEARL0890

everything is checked and wires are good. my engine timing has now gone off, which i think might be why i'm having trouble starting it. but could it be just a simple grounding problem???

old_master

The big clue here is the radio losing memory. When that happens, it's an indication that voltage is dropping too low. If the starter draws excessive current, it can drain a battery very quickly. The starter itself may have excessive resistance, or it could be a faulty ground or battery connection causing the high resistance. Did you remove the battery cable connections to inspect them? If so, and they're clean, shiney, and tight, they're might be a constant draw killing the battery, or the battery may have a weak or shorted cell. When you had the alternator tested, was it done on the vehicle or off? Don't rely on those "off the car" testers the auto parts stores have. The results are not always correct either due to the person using the machine, or the machine itself. They have a lot of fancy gauges and lights and look impressive, but don't always properly test the alternator and voltage regulator. Charging systems should be tested by qualified technicians, that can test both voltage output and amperage output while the alternator is on the vehicle. The alternator, voltage regulator, battery cables and battery are a system, they should be tested that way. If the red battery icon on the dash lights up when the key is turned on, and goes off when the engine is running, the alternator and voltage regulator are probably operating correctly. From the symptoms that you describe, I would first suspect a poor connection, then a faulty battery.