the engine runs but nothing else works!!

[mnt]

i can start the van and the radio comes on but as soon as you try to run any thing else all power goes off even if you push the brakes. the running lights come on but dim as soon as you try to pull away and i hav no signals. the batery is new and all terminals and cables clean, canadian tire spent 5 hrs trying to find a short but didnt come up with anything(they didnt charge me) im thinking of sending to the dealership but its gonna cost a fortune HELP!!!!

[Geezz]

loose plug at BCM could give you most of what your seeing.....there are other factors which can contribute such as a loose/weak belt, a weak tensioner, combined with a weak battery will also give you what your seeing (a weak tensionor/belt will allow a suspect battery to start the engine)

[mnt]

thanks for the reply ,we found it was battery acid had leaked from the battery on to the wires under it and corrouded them, apparently not uncommon in this van and mazda miatas. We were not aware of this because the battery was changed when we bought the van. (and the idiot dealer didn'd tell us) Thanks to John Bear Pontiac for thier help.

[LMP]

Hey...that is a good one again: how after 100 years of building cars do they let fusible links, fuse holders, plus various plug and connectors hang under the battery? I had a Taurus doing exactly that several years ago with acid successively eating the 12v feed to the ECM (in this case, all would work except the engine) , and then the 12v feed to the voltage regulator. DO they turn off the learn switch at each new design?