Lights flickering and car display going nuts

[happyhour79]

Hello.
I'm having a problem with my 2001 Intrigue GLS. It has about 86 K miles on it. And the lights have always flickered. Just recently (like the last month), the car display has been going nuts while I've been driving. Like the gauges will all max out, the warning lights will turn on and it's like someone unplugs my car and plugs it back in real quick and everything is working. The AC is on (when it wasn't before), the Odometer is reset, and all that. Also, when I turn it off, everything goes dead and I try to restart it and nothing comes on. I'll turn it off and try it again, and it starts right back up. I took it in and it didn't do it for the mechanic and he said he cleaned the connections, and all that, and it quit doing it for about a week. Now it's done it again 2 times. Yesterday on my way home from work and on Sat the 28th of April. I've also had the battery and altinator checked. Both were fine. The ignition switch was replaced about 2 years ago and the battery was replaced around then too.

Can anyone help? I've read is some of the trouble shooting forums here about the Altinator, and Ignition switch. Is that the problem? Thanks!!!

[burijon]

Sounds like you have been doing some good research. Yes it does sound like another bad ignition switch. My other guess is perhaps the Passkey security stuff. There is a post somewhere that tells you how to disable it if you find out that indeed is the problem.

If you don't want to play guessing games you could take it to a GM dealer and have them scan it with the TECH II. It might save you more money in the long run than throwing money at guessed parts.

There should be a sticky at the top of the Intrigue forum of the top 5 or 10 issues(this being one of them) and their fixes. It seems every Intrigue has all the same problems over and over.

[happyhour79]

I didn't read about the passkey stuff. Could that be it too? How do I disable it? I'll try that first. Will it disable my keyless remote?

[burijon]

Try these:
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...hlight=passkey

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...hlight=passkey

So maybe a another ignition switch is in order?

[happyhour79]

I read a little about that and I don't think it's that. My security light doesn't come on and my keyless entry works fine. Could it be the starter again. I just had the replaced a couple years ago. And would it make the gauges go all funky while I'm driving. The car has only shut down once on the road. Now the gauges go funky and when I turn it off, it goes dead. but I'll wait a minute or two and it turns over and starts just fine. Would that be the passkey? It hasn't started doing that until recently.

[panzer dragoon]

this seems like a loose fuse box connection. Check the connection and make sure the fuse-box is tight.



Was your alternator replaced with the new part number =the upgraded alternator has a new part number.

[happyhour79]

No the altinator wasn't replaced, but I had it checked out when this first started happening and it checks out fine. I also read somewhere that someone mentioned the wires connecting the battery. Do you know anything about that? Where I took it the first time, cleaned the wires, and checked them and it has only done this 2 times in 2 weeks since then.

[panzer dragoon]

the alternator check won't work. The alternator field collapses due to vibration while the car is moving. Put a cheap voltmeter across the battery while the car is moving = when the alternator field collapses you will go to battery voltage (12.6V) or less from ~14V+ (charging voltage)

clean off all battery connections and use a dialectric grease (conductive grease).

[happyhour79]

Would the starter/ignition malfunction and cause the car to shut down in the middle of driving?