Dead battery, or just a short in system?

[porcelina]

Last week, I began experiencing strange things in my car. I'll be driving, and I'll flip on my turn signal, or turn on my headlights, and my radio will lose power. After a few seconds, it will correct itself. It also does it when I have on my turn signal and I press the brake pedal (when I let up on the brakes, it will come back on).

When I park the car, and shift into park (automatic tranny) the radio will lose power also. I have checked my battery connections, and they seem tight and clean. In fact, I tightened the positive because I was able to wiggle it, and thought I had it fixed. I tested it in the driveway and it was fine, then later drove the car, and it began acting the same way again.

For the record, the car will not even turn over now, and barely gets anything. My dome light works, but is dim, and the radio will not come on at all. My wipers will work, but only very, very slowly.

Any help would be appreciated a great deal.

[joeval]

Sounds like your alternator is dead. Charge the battery and if everything works again, your alternator is not charging the battery. Check all the connections again to make sure that they are tight, including the ones in the alternator. If everything is working, disconnect your positive terminal from the battery while the car is running, if the car dies, the alternator is bad.

[porcelina]

I started the car on a jump yesterday, and let it run for a little while, and the wipers are still very slow, and no power to the radio. I don't know if jumpstarting, rather than charging the battery would have made any difference, but it did die when I disconnected the positive terminal from the battery. Thank you very much for your fast response.

[Scooby2204]

never disconnect the positive teminal only you always disconnect the negative terminal disconnecting the positive terminal can cause possible damage to your altinator computers and other sensitive electrical components. but yes do what porcelina said charge the battery till its fully charged and then start your car and dissconnect the negative terminal if your car dies then your alternator is bad because your alternator generates the power for your car to run and if its bad then your car will kill and u need to replace it

[Scooby2204]

sorry dont do what "joeval" said...not porcelina

[joeval]

I have heard that before, scooby, but no date to verify. If you disconnect the negative, then there is still power in the system with no place to go. If the positive is disconnected, the remaining power will just run out like a battery going dead. Of course, I have to data for this either.

[porcelina]

All I know is that I did as suggested, and after pulling out the alternator, I took it to Autozone, and had it testing. Sure enough, they said it had a bad diode, and needed to be replaced. We did this, and now my car is as good as it ever was.

[Shpyder]

either the battery or the alternator for sure. exact same stuff going on with my freinds 1990 celica. you honk the horn and the radio shuts off for a bit, hahahaha.

[Shpyder]

check the alternator fuse before you do anything
better spend $2 than get a new alternator/batt