Car Trouble

[Drew_Kingsley]

Here\'s a car problem that I\'d like to understand a little better before I drive home tonight:

Whenever I step on the brake, the battery seems to drain; the digital clock fades a little bit and the radio cuts out for just a moment.

Any ideas?

[BennyBoomers]

maybe a fuse??...but I really don\'t know what im talking about so...look at your fuses and see if one is blown or something

[Spacey]

What kind of vehicle?

[SlimPickens]

You need a new battery, yours is dying. (just a guess... i don\'t know shit\'bout cars)

[Spacey]

battery might have corrosion on the terminals.

possibly an electronic short is occurring from a low battery.

I had this problem on a Galant I owned. Use to drop in idle and almost stall. It was something electronic.

[kindm's]

I posted your question to another board. ill let you know if they have any ideas

[Drew_Kingsley]

What kind of vehicle?

1995 Buick Skylark... sounds more like a punchline than an answer, but it\'s true. And believe it or not, it has run fine for all 143,636 miles put on it up until this morning. Assuming the Lark can make it, I\'m bringing it to a mechanic this afternoon.

[kindm's]

What kind of vehicle?

1995 Buick Skylark... sounds more like a punchline than an answer, but it\'s true. And believe it or not, it has run fine for all 143,636 miles put on it up until this morning. Assuming the Lark can make it, I\'m bringing it to a mechanic this afternoon.

I had this car. We called it the "Ick" as all but those letters had fallen off the back of the car.

Here is 1 suggestion from the other board

"tell him to check the firewall-to-dashboard ground wire connection."

[wACEted]

Also, too, the alternator. My last car (1978 Pontiac SunBird aka DeathBox) did the same thing till it just crapped out right at my house. Turns out the alternator stopped working. Check that.

Good luck.

[FrankZappa]

Alternator on it\'s way out.

Battery or both.

Loose alternator belt.

[kindm's]

Here is another reply from some of the tapers

"Without knowing what year and model car anything suggested will just be a guess. Could be anything from a bad brake sensor  shorting (insulation rubbed off creating a ground) to the driver just associating the symptoms with braking when it could be something as simple as a belt slipping, ie when he isn\'t accelerating the alternator belt slips and the voltage drops until he either accelerates again or the belt quits slipping and starts spinning the alternator again.

Easiest way to check whether the brakes are involved or it\'s just a slipping belt, have him start the car (while in his driveway, work parking lot etc, leave the car in park while doing the following), bring the RPMs up to about 2500 and let off the gas without touching the brake pedal, if the symptoms present then its not the brakes but something in the electrical system. Have him bring the revs back up but this time depress the brake pedal after letting off the gas, if the symptoms present this time where they didn\'t before, then it is something to do with the brakes but the electrical system is still involved. If that\'s the case, have him take it to his mechanic."

I just posted the year and make so perhaps it will yield better responses.

[Drew_Kingsley]

Thanks guys.

While the obvious solution is that I need a new car, the likely solution that I can (pretty much) afford is the alternator.

For the record "Ick" is a good name. We call mine the "BST" ever since a near-fatal trip to Virginia resulted in the decision that my car runs on "blood, sweat and tears". I get the feeling the BST is about to join White Lightning and the War Machine in my graveyard of vehicles.

[davepeck]

don\'t forget to check your headlight fluid. that\'s typically the cause of 90% of all problems with cars.

[FrankZappa]

yea, that\'s what was the matter with your passenger side mirror, right dave? rotfl

[Spacey]

don\'t forget to check your headlight fluid. that\'s typically the cause of 90% of all problems with cars.

yes but that is only 30% of the time.