Electrical wackiness
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2nd Gear
Joined: Apr 2006
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From: Lancaster, OH
Electrical wackiness
Begin stream of conscious narration:
Day 1:
Car (2006 MCS, 98440 miles, DOB: May 8th, 2006) is parked in hot sun. Upon starting, outside temp reads 103. Lowers to 95 as I drive (actual temp: 88). I notice that the AC doesn't feel right as the interior is still hot and humid. While sitting in the car wash, I see that the AC light is slowly turning on and off. Water cools the car, temp reading goes down, AC then works fine for the rest of the day. Also: waterfall from passenger side edge of headliner, cursing.
Day 2:
Quick trip in the morning to gas station, store and back - all is good. Later, toss my little girl in the back to take her to her first birthday party and have repeat of Day 1. Temp 103, flaky AC. I notice that some indicator lights are on that shouldn't be (as if I had stalled) so I turn the car off. Click click click, no start. I let it sit for a minute, try again and it starts begrudgingly. No control over AC, clock reading "--:--", multiple indicator lights on (like the brake light without ebrake engaged, DSC light, battery light blinking erratically). And now, no power steering. I've driven cars that never had power steering, but none with such wide tires, whew. So, now it's 90 out, no AC, both windows down, baby crying, wife not answering phone, daddy cursing, radio turning off when stopped and engine is idling, turning on upon revving the engine - good times. I get the guest of honor to her party and pull the car into the in-laws' garage. The big battery charger on wheels says the battery is good, but car won't start. We jump it, car starts, crazy lights and so on, test the alternator (operating out of range). I leave it charging for an hour or so at 30 amps. Go back and start it up and everything seems normal. Leave car in garage and take mother-in-law (and co-worker)'s car home.
Day 3: Pick up mother-in-law on way to work. Cooper starts up normally (forgot to test power steering). Now at work doing research here on NAM.
Bad battery? Maybe, but it's about 6 months old.
Bad alternator? The tester said it was operating out of range, but I don't know enough about it to make any conclusions.
Bad ignition switch? My dad's BMW had some similar symptoms and some screwdrivers and Deoxit fixed it. I started to dismantle the underside of the steering wheel, thought about an airbag going off in my face and quit.
Of course, this is the week that my buddy the mechanic is on vacation, so no access to his shop's computer readers. This also means I have to take it to someone I don't know.
I'm going to drive it home tonight and see how it behaves during the 20-minute trip. If the problem is the alternator, and I run the AC on full and play the radio the whole way, I should probably see the same issues by the time I get home, right?
-Ryan
Day 1:
Car (2006 MCS, 98440 miles, DOB: May 8th, 2006) is parked in hot sun. Upon starting, outside temp reads 103. Lowers to 95 as I drive (actual temp: 88). I notice that the AC doesn't feel right as the interior is still hot and humid. While sitting in the car wash, I see that the AC light is slowly turning on and off. Water cools the car, temp reading goes down, AC then works fine for the rest of the day. Also: waterfall from passenger side edge of headliner, cursing.
Day 2:
Quick trip in the morning to gas station, store and back - all is good. Later, toss my little girl in the back to take her to her first birthday party and have repeat of Day 1. Temp 103, flaky AC. I notice that some indicator lights are on that shouldn't be (as if I had stalled) so I turn the car off. Click click click, no start. I let it sit for a minute, try again and it starts begrudgingly. No control over AC, clock reading "--:--", multiple indicator lights on (like the brake light without ebrake engaged, DSC light, battery light blinking erratically). And now, no power steering. I've driven cars that never had power steering, but none with such wide tires, whew. So, now it's 90 out, no AC, both windows down, baby crying, wife not answering phone, daddy cursing, radio turning off when stopped and engine is idling, turning on upon revving the engine - good times. I get the guest of honor to her party and pull the car into the in-laws' garage. The big battery charger on wheels says the battery is good, but car won't start. We jump it, car starts, crazy lights and so on, test the alternator (operating out of range). I leave it charging for an hour or so at 30 amps. Go back and start it up and everything seems normal. Leave car in garage and take mother-in-law (and co-worker)'s car home.
Day 3: Pick up mother-in-law on way to work. Cooper starts up normally (forgot to test power steering). Now at work doing research here on NAM.
Bad battery? Maybe, but it's about 6 months old.
Bad alternator? The tester said it was operating out of range, but I don't know enough about it to make any conclusions.
Bad ignition switch? My dad's BMW had some similar symptoms and some screwdrivers and Deoxit fixed it. I started to dismantle the underside of the steering wheel, thought about an airbag going off in my face and quit.
Of course, this is the week that my buddy the mechanic is on vacation, so no access to his shop's computer readers. This also means I have to take it to someone I don't know.
I'm going to drive it home tonight and see how it behaves during the 20-minute trip. If the problem is the alternator, and I run the AC on full and play the radio the whole way, I should probably see the same issues by the time I get home, right?
-Ryan
Bad battery makes the car act wonky. A 6mon old battery shouldn't be bad, but it is possible. If the cables on the batttery are good and tight, and someone is testing the alternator as bad, it sounds like that might be the cause. Just test properly to make sure you don't start a part changing festival of fail.
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