GAGT gone haywire

[shyguy5885]

Hey guys....2000 Grand Am GT here with 64,000 miles. I left home to goto the doctor, and then went to starbucks for coffee. It started fine in my driveway and at the doc's office. When I started it after leaving starbucks, it was on for like 5 secs, and then everything just died all of a sudden. and i mean everything. now, you turn the key, and there is absolutely no power to anything. i'll also add that 2 nights ago, after my car was sitting for about 6 hours after driving around, I started it and noticed the clock on my radio had said 1:00 - it was really 11:15 p.m. Yesterday, I started up after work, all fine, stopped for coffee at starbucks.....I came out and it started kinda funny.....and the clock said 1:00 again. I'm really not quite sure what is wrong.....any help guys? PLEASE! thanx.

[grfnkl]

From what you are describing, it sounds like your battery is dead. It was probably weak causing the time to be off. Some other possiblities if the battery is new(er), is a bad ground connection or bad battery cables. this could also cause a similiar problem. Good luck

[gmack221]

Yeah what grfnkl said, but have the battery tested before you replace it (any auto parts store will charge it and load test it for free), if you have a bad alternator it will drain the battery, making the battery appear to be bad, have the battery tested, check your connections & wires, then if those don't fix it pull the alternator & have that tested (free at any parts store). Find the problem and fix it, don't just throw money at the car trying to get it fixed.

[shyguy5885]

so i just checked after work, and when i opened the door....the dome light was working.....i turned the key, things worked i.e. guages and such.....and it cranked, but wouldn't start. i figure it's a combo of bad alt, bad battery b/c of the bad alt, and a bad ground connection. i had replaced the battery about a year ago.....it'd work fine for a while, and then be dead. if i choose a battery with more cranking amps and and alternator with a lot more amperage output, is that going to be harmful? or does the system(pcm) know to regulate that?

[grfnkl]

I would look into the alternator before going with a new more powerful battery. Have you gotten the battery light at all while driving? especially under a load ( lights on, rear def, wipers...etc) When this happened the other day at work,did you have to jump start the car to get it going?

Some answers to your questions, you can put a higher cranking amp battery into your car.(you would have to find out what's available) For alternator you shouldn't have to put a higher Amp then recommend spec into the car unless you are drawing a lot of power such as through a sound system. Most auto parts stores can tell you if there is a high amp alternator that goes to the car. If there is one, then it shouldn't affect the car, but I'm not 100% certain on this.

[gmack221]

Unless your running a killer stereo system stick with stock parts, I know a guy who put a bigger alternator in and kept blowing headlights until he changed back to the orig alternator, but that was on a ford product, so who knows what else was wrong with it.

[shyguy5885]

Hello all,
just an update, i went back to my car a couple hours later that night and there was nothing when i opened the door.....no lights or anything. having a hunch it was another ground problem, i popped the hood - while leaving the door open- and removed the ground/neg cable from the battery. as soon as i touched the two together again, i got a mini spark = success. i tightened till i saw my interior dome light come on and i went to go crank.....started like there hadn't been any problem......i had this same issue basically a year and a half ago.....i ended up replacing the delco that was in it.......so if it becomes more of a problem, i'll have to change the neg. battery cable out for a new one. also, i've always kinda been waiting for my alt. to die cuz i have to dimming(for a sec) headlights when i touch the brake pedal, but when i use my power windows, they really draw and dim the headlights until i'm not using the window buttons anymore. also, if i have the heater going, and the rear defrost on, when i turn on the car, as soon as i shift into reverse, it seems like the car wants to die on me......anywayz, my problem is "solved" for now......thanx for the input guys.

[Gir-_-]

yea the GAs SUCK..... lots of power

Ive been looking into grabbing a bigger altenator too... but low budget kills.
The dimming of the lights is normal on the car... most do them, even mine.
My power windows just stopped all together basically shortly after I had got it... no more fun in the sun untill I get em fixed