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02 Impala electrical issue, can anyone help? (solved, hopefully)
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bugzy3188
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Jan 2, 2012, 6:16 PM
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02 Impala electrical issue, can anyone help? (solved, hopefully)
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I have an 02 Chevy Impala 3.4 with 155,000 miles on it. My problems began a month ago when the red battery light started randomly going on and off, eventually leading to it dying leaving my wife stranded in the cold. The first time it died the guages started flickering, all lights including the headlights did as well sometimes cutting in and out. Naturally I assumed that the alternator had failed, but was puzzled when we were able to jump it and get it home later that day. It drove for a week off of that initial jump and then did the same thing in our parking lot. This time I pulled the alternator and had it tested only to find out that it was fine, I also had my battery tested and that was fine as well. I did get it running for a bit but killed the battery when test driving around the block, I then made the mistake of leaving an empty battery in the cold which I assume froze it because it no longer accepted a charge. Seeing as it was 5 years old anyway I decided to just replace it. I put it in, and presto!! it drove for a whole day without any warning lights, early the next morning my good mood was shattered by that cruel cruel red light, same thing, it started flickering a few days before the car just gave up. We had thought that the previous battery had touching plates which were shorting the battery causing a drain in the system so I figured that this may have killed an already weak alternator, so I had it tested....again..it passed with flying colors much to my dismay. Here is the kicker, I have left the battery on both a 40 amp charge for 4 hours and a trickle charge over night, the 40 started the car for about 30 seconds and then it died and the car lost power completely, the trickle charge didnt even start the car, it gave me about 15 minutes of messing with it before it was too weak to even run the power locks.
(catching my breath)
Symptoms
Sorry, I know this is long but I want to give as much detail as possible. When I attempt to start the car there is what sounds like a low growl coming from the engine, accompanied by a strobe light show, clicking coming from somewhere in the glove compartment (my fuse box is on the drivers side), and my guages going crazy and trying to engage. The light show often time continues even after taking the key out, and I have to play with the headlight switch to get it to stop. It rarely even attempts to crank, instead just clicking and freaking out with the symptoms mentioned above.
Things that I have tried so far
As mentioned above I have had the alternator tested twice (on the machine at Oreily) and replaced the battery just a few days ago. I have checked and cleaned the posts and connections to the battery as well as the alternator and I have also checked the grounds for the battery for any loose or crackly cable finding it to be just fine
Sorry again for the novel, but I wanted to be as detailed as possible seeing as I do not have the money to get ANY work done on the car and could really use some advice...thanks in advance guys!!
On a side note, I have read a lot about the security issues with early 2000 GMs especially the Impalas, and I really do not think that this is the problem. I do not get a security light, disconnecting then reconnecting the battery does not provide even a temporary fix and the previous owner mentioned having a problem like that fixed much earlier in the cars lifetime.
(This post was edited by bugzy3188 on Jan 9, 2012, 12:13 PM)
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Discretesignals
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Jan 2, 2012, 6:27 PM
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Re: 02 Impala extremely frustrating electrical issue, can anyone help?
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If you have a volt meter, what is the voltage at the battery terminals when the problem is occurring? Sometime alternators may fail intermittently or you could have a wiring or connection problem with the circuits involved in the alternator operation that bench testing won't reveal.
If the interior lights are pulsating while the engine is running, you could have a regulator acting up inside the alternator or the regulator doesn't have a good ground for some reason.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Jan 2, 2012, 6:32 PM)
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bugzy3188
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Jan 2, 2012, 6:34 PM
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Re: 02 Impala extremely frustrating electrical issue, can anyone help?
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My dad has one that I can grab tomorrow. Could the alternator cause the car not to start even after fully charging the battery outside of the vehicle?
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Discretesignals
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Jan 2, 2012, 6:43 PM
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Re: 02 Impala extremely frustrating electrical issue, can anyone help?
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If the battery is fully charged, the engine should crank even if the alternator isn't putting out a charge.
If the rectifier in the alternator has a shorted diode it could allow alternating current to flow into the electrical system while the engine is running. That could cause electronic computers to flake out and cause all sorts of weird things.
Most of the time if an alternator stops charging while your driving, the electronics run off the battery until the battery goes dead. When the battery is discharged, the engine doesn't crank.
If the engine is cranking, but it doesn't start, you probably have something else going on.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
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bugzy3188
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Jan 2, 2012, 6:48 PM
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Re: 02 Impala extremely frustrating electrical issue, can anyone help?
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90 percent of the time it just clicks without turning at all even after charging for a few hours on 40 amp or 2 amp over night
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Discretesignals
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Jan 2, 2012, 6:56 PM
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Re: 02 Impala extremely frustrating electrical issue, can anyone help?
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Then you need to test the starting system first. If you can't get the engine to crank, you can't test the charging system.
Make sure that your battery tests good.
Inspect your battery connections. Look at the cables and the battery bolts to see if there full of corrosion. If the battery bolts are stripped out, replace them. If the cables, connections, and battery check good, you'll have to be sure the starter solenoid ignition switch circuit has voltage on it, when you attempt to crank the engine. If there is voltage on it, have the starter tested. If the starter tests good, you'll have to do a voltage drop test on the battery cables to see if they have excessive resistance.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
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bugzy3188
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Jan 2, 2012, 7:02 PM
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Re: 02 Impala extremely frustrating electrical issue, can anyone help?
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The car is able to turn over when sufficient power is applied, it does on occasion and starts just fine before dying shortly after. When I did get it started earlier today, it was running just fine and then I heard what sounded like something engaging in the engine ( this is the only way I know how to explain is) it was a low growl that killed the car just seconds after it started. The other 90 percent of the time, when the car just clicks instead of turning over I can hear the growl or low groan coming from the left side of the engine compartment (facing the car) I was working alone so I could not get out and check the exact location in time...to me it seemed like something that should have engaged wasnt recieving the power it needed so it wasnt running at full steam causing it to growl, Sorry if that sounds dumb, Im a PC guy not a mechanic...
Oh and the terminals and posts were cleaned with a wire brush, all connection points on the battery have been wire brushed and are, for the most part, bare metal with no rust or corrosion.
(This post was edited by bugzy3188 on Jan 2, 2012, 7:12 PM)
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bugzy3188
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Jan 2, 2012, 7:09 PM
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Re: 02 Impala extremely frustrating electrical issue, can anyone help?
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are we allowed to post links to videos on this site? I would be happy to record a video and post it up on here so you guys can hear and see what I am...
(This post was edited by bugzy3188 on Jan 2, 2012, 7:09 PM)
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Discretesignals
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Jan 2, 2012, 7:11 PM
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Re: 02 Impala extremely frustrating electrical issue, can anyone help?
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You can post links to videos you recorded.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
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bugzy3188
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Jan 2, 2012, 7:13 PM
Post #10 of 27
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Re: 02 Impala extremely frustrating electrical issue, can anyone help?
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ok well in that case, I will put it on another trickle charge over night so we can be sure that the battery is fully charged, and I will install it and record the process of attempting to start it tomorrow when there is sufficient light.
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bugzy3188
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Jan 2, 2012, 7:31 PM
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Re: 02 Impala extremely frustrating electrical issue, can anyone help?
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If it does start tomorrow, it will probably run for 30 seconds to a minute before freaking out and dying. Would it be best to have the camera in the car looking at the guages or outside looking at the engine? ( I will get my wife to record) also is there anything that I could do during the process to maybe help you guys get an idea of whats going on?
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Discretesignals
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Jan 2, 2012, 7:36 PM
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Re: 02 Impala extremely frustrating electrical issue, can anyone help?
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One thing that you could do is record the reading on your meter with it connected to the battery terminals. That way we can watch if the charging system voltage gets all wacked out when the problem occurs.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
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bugzy3188
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Jan 3, 2012, 12:22 PM
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Re: 02 Impala extremely frustrating electrical issue, can anyone help?
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Here is a video taken today, I have not gotten my hands on the voltmeter yet but will later today and I will upadate..
http://www.youtube.com/...ed&v=L232xtbGD-U
(This post was edited by bugzy3188 on Jan 3, 2012, 12:54 PM)
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Discretesignals
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Jan 3, 2012, 5:02 PM
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Re: 02 Impala extremely frustrating electrical issue, can anyone help?
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If the battery is good, it appears you have a bad connection. You should get hold of a 12 volt test lamp and with the problem occurring probe the 60 amp ignition fuse in the under hood fuse relay panel. Watch the test lamp as the stuff in the car is wigging out. If the lamp stays bright, go to the left side IP fuse panel and probe the PCM/BCM/CLSTR 10A fuse. Come back and tell us what the light is doing.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Jan 3, 2012, 5:05 PM)
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bugzy3188
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Jan 3, 2012, 8:30 PM
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Re: 02 Impala extremely frustrating electrical issue, can anyone help?
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ok those are cheap enough, I can get one tomorrow and try that. Do you know of a poor mans way of testing whether or not a battery is indeed fully charged? the amp meter on the charger itself has not worked for some time but there is a nice hum when it is switched up to 40 amps. I dont have reason to believe that the charger is not working but if it is something that I can eliminate at a low cost i would like to do so...
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Discretesignals
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Jan 3, 2012, 8:32 PM
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Re: 02 Impala extremely frustrating electrical issue, can anyone help?
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Probably the easiest and cheapest way it to take the battery to a parts store such as Autozone and have them test the battery.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
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bugzy3188
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Jan 3, 2012, 8:42 PM
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Re: 02 Impala extremely frustrating electrical issue, can anyone help?
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ok, ill do that when I go and get the 12v lamp, assuming they sell those at 1 of the two auto parts stores in town...
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bugzy3188
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Jan 4, 2012, 3:57 PM
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Re: 02 Impala electrical issue, can anyone help? (Video Added)
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Well I had a friend com over and try and jump start the car today and it fired right up! I am not sure why the charger wasnt charging the battery but that's a whole other issue. After finding this out I am confident enough to drop 40 bucks on an alternator from a salvage yard (at least until I can afford new) and go from there. I will be sure and post back, thanks a lot for the help Discrete...
(This post was edited by bugzy3188 on Jan 4, 2012, 3:58 PM)
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Hammer Time
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Jan 4, 2012, 3:59 PM
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Re: 02 Impala electrical issue, can anyone help? (Video Added)
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How did you conclude that you needed an alternator?
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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bugzy3188
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Jan 4, 2012, 8:09 PM
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Re: 02 Impala electrical issue, can anyone help? (Video Added)
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Well I guess just by the way the battery light would cut on and off eventually staying on, just kind of seems like an alternator. Plus, at the price of a used one, its my cheapest next step. Logically speaking The battery light would really only go on a few times a day which suggests to me that the alternator failures are intermittent which would explain it passing the two separate tests, each time they didnt keep it on for any more than 30 seconds. My plan now is to toss in the alternator, make sure the battery is charging, and then bring it down to Oreily so they can put it under a full load test and then go from there, hopefully thats it...
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Hammer Time
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Jan 4, 2012, 8:11 PM
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Re: 02 Impala electrical issue, can anyone help? (Video Added)
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Yes, that would make sense.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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bugzy3188
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Jan 9, 2012, 12:13 PM
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Re: 02 Impala electrical issue, can anyone help? (Video Added)
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Well I did replace the alternator over the weekend and it did not solve he problem, so I broke down and took it to a mechanic who as far as I know so far, was able to determine and solve the problem. I will try my best here to explain what he told me. The previous owner had the starter replaced shortly before we bought the car and apparently who ever put the starter on forgot a bolt...or nut.. I forget for the solenoid. This caused it to vibrate loose over the course of a few months causing something to happen with the connection to the wire on the alternator causing it not to charge. Sorry for the crude explanation I am sure someone here may be able to explain better. I have only driven it home, I will post in a few days and let you guys know if the problem has really been solved or not...
(This post was edited by bugzy3188 on Jan 9, 2012, 12:15 PM)
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Tom Greenleaf
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Jan 9, 2012, 12:25 PM
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Re: 02 Impala electrical issue, can anyone help? (Video Added)
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I'm near sure it's solved. If the mechanic found and issue like that he/she (yes) no doubt would have made sure the repair worked.
Don't be afraid of real mechanics/technicians - we are real people too,
T
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Hammer Time
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Jan 9, 2012, 1:27 PM
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Re: 02 Impala electrical issue, can anyone help? (Video Added)
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I understand what he's saying, although it doesn't really add up. He is claiming a problem with the fusible link which I agree probably caused the problem but I'm guessing it was just a blown fusible link and he sold you a starter to make up for the time it took him to find the problem.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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bugzy3188
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Jan 9, 2012, 2:24 PM
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Re: 02 Impala electrical issue, can anyone help? (solved, hopefully)
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oh no, he didnt replace the starter. The fix only cost me $117(<===ha only...) for the time it took to fix. He said that all he did was replace the bolt...or nut..what ever..and tested it to make sure it was charging. Does that seem right? I plan on giving an online review and I would like to be fair...
On a side note, I was a bit ticked off, because I had asked him to diagnose the problem, and call me if the repairs had gotten over $100. I am happy it was fixed but he charged me $117 and I received no such call. I realize its only $17 bucks but it is a matter of principle, I feel like I should have been notified.
(This post was edited by bugzy3188 on Jan 9, 2012, 2:28 PM)
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