electrical problems/ignition

Hello again AF! I have a serious electrical situation and could use your people's help.

Here is a some backstory. About a month ago my car needed to be jump started as it was dead when I got off work. When I tried to turn the car over there was a very loud clicking noise from both of the fuse panels inside of the car. After the battery had charged enough to start this noise was gone. Battery is OEM AC/Delco with the light in the top but does not glow green anymore (time to replace).

Well this morning my drivers side window came off track about halfway down. So I took the panel off and loosened the track to get it back in place. Mind you this was done with the door open so the dome light was draining the battery. Anyway, I unhooked all the electric for the windows, locks, mirror and removed the speaker to access the lower track mounting bolt (didnt have a 10mm wrench). I got the window back in the track I hooked the window switch up to roll the window up to check its operation. I turned the ignition to ACC but nothing happend. So I turned it to on and when I used the window switch my dash gauges started freaking out and was accompanied by the clicking from both of my fuse panels as if I was turning it over when my battery was run down. I heard either three or four chimes from the speaker when this happened. I got the window up and I turned the ignition to off but it continued to click and the gauges kept reseting for about 5 seconds. It was doing this even without the key in the ignition.

I put everything back together but when I tried to start my car my battery was dead. No dome light, headlights, dashlights etc etc. My message center was faint and tripping out giving me every error message from low coolant level to low fuel to service enging soon etc etc. I pushed the car out of the garage and had a friend help to jump start it. With the jumper cables on I had power to everything but when I went to start it, it remained dead. No clicking from either fuse panel or starter, but my message center kept giving me random error displays. When I turned the key over the little light in the recirculate button under the fan setting knob went out (would come back on when I let go of the key), the radio does not work and with the ignition in off and the car in park no keys in it, the reverse lights are on.

At this point my car is sitting in my back yard with the negative battery cable unhooked.

Would the problems I have described be a fuse or a relay? Could I have fried the computer? How can I troubleshoot what is going on? This is the only car that my family has and we are basically screwed without it. I dont have the $ to take it to a shop right now and hope that someone here can help a guy out. If you need more specs on my car just ask.

Thanks,
Jim

2002 Impala 3.4L

How about a new battery and clean the grounds and cable connections? With the battery that dead the jumpers would have to left on for 10 minutes with the other car running before cranking the engine,.

No go with waiting ten minutes. I have power to some things but not everything and it will not turn over. Is there fuses that I need to check under the hood as well as the panels in the car? Which one(s) am I looking for?

I am really worried that I fried something... I just hope that if I did its not something major. Any more help? AF? Richtazz? Crazy Jim? Anyone familiar with the elecrical and ignition systems?

That usually means the battery is really "dead" (probably broken or loose plates inside) -- get a new one and your starting troubles will be over for long time.

Consider this thread solved. I checked the relays and fuses and then had the battery tested. Showed bad battery. $90 later, I am back on the road. But it is an impala, Im sure that there will be something else come up soon.

Besides that pesky check engine light that mysteriously went out ;)

Unhooking the negative battery cable can clear some codes. If there is a real problem, the light will come back on after a few drive cycles. Some problems only set codes if they occur more than once.