[knight20]

Here is my situation, I really need your help.

I have a 2006 ZX5 SES. Last night I was driving home from a function and I noticed my stereo was a little distorted, as I was messing around with the stereo, my instrument cluster was dimming. I am still driving at this point. Now my turn signals and my head/tail lights are not working and my instrument cluster is not registering at all. I decide to pull over where my car finally stalls. Nothing works! While waiting for help, about ten minutes after stalling I decide to try starting the car, it starts. My guages are bright and are registering properly and all my lights work. It is back to normal except for a little whine. It sound sort of like when you have air in your power steering system but a tad different. Maybe alternator?

I really need your help guys. What is the problem? I really need to get her fixed today.

Thanks in advance.

 

[iminhell]

Really sounds like the alternator is on it's way out.

Do you happen to have one of these?

(Digital Volt Ohm Meter, DVOM)

If you do run out and test the voltage of the battery with the engine off (red to red, black to black, meter set to "V -20"). Then do the same but with the car idling. You should get about 12.6 and 14.x respectively. If the first is lower the battery has a problem, may just need a charge. if the second is low, rev the car up some and see if it comes up, if it does there may be a fault with the voltage sensing wire on the alternator (goes to the battery and tells the alternator how much to charge).


If you do not have a DVOM,
Loosen the positive battery cable (do not remove it), start the car, then remove the positive cable from the battery. If the car dies the alternator is not charging. If it stays running there may be a problem inside the battery causing the alternator to under charge while driving.

 

[knight20]

I just loosened the positive then started the car, I then took the positive completely off the battery and the car kept running. What else "could" it be besides the battery. I do not have a DVOM.

 

[blackoutSVT]

I just loosened the positive then started the car, I then took the positive completely off the battery and the car kept running. What else "could" it be besides the battery. I do not have a DVOM.

you need to be careful when doing that you can end up frying the computer. you can do that on older cars but anything 95 or newer it can hurt it. but if it didn't die when u did that i would say it was the battery i would charge it and see what it dose.

 

[knight20]

The only thing is that my car is running fine right now. If I charge the battery I wont know if it did anything. I just don't want to get stranded again.

 

[blackoutSVT]

The only thing is that my car is running fine right now. If I charge the battery I wont know if it did anything. I just don't want to get stranded again.

well i guess you could take it up to ford and have them look at it.