[net.auto.tech] Pontiac Electrical Question

jmb@cbdkc1.UUCP ( Jim Brohard 45820 x4880 RAA) (11/04/85)

My 1984 Pontiac Fiero just did a strange thing this morning (Monday morning
of course!).

I parked it in the garage Friday afternoon and everything was working fine.
This morning, I open the door, and no interior lights come on.  Whoops!
I must have left my door ajar all weekend.  No problem, I'll just push start
it (manual transmission).  As soon as the car gets rolling, the interior light
comes on (I had my door open), the radio comes to life, and I start the car
with the ignition switch.  The radio did 'forget' the time and the preset
stations.

Everything was fine on the drive into work, but what happened?  I obviously
completely lost power, because the radio lost its memory.  What happened
and what fixed it??

					Thanks for any info,
					Jim Brohard

bcking@inmet.UUCP (11/08/85)

 ** power to the people (sometimes) **

 Sounds like a flaky connection at the battery.  You might want to pull
 the battery connectors, shine both the battery terminals AND the inside
 of the connectors with a wire brush, and reconnect them.  Second most
 likely cause is the connection at the other end of the fat (+) wire.
 There is usually a main fuse there.  Check for lose or flaky connection
 here, too.  It is also possible that there is a bad connection inside
 the battery.  This can happen if the terminals get twisted, pulled,
 or pushed too hard.

 R.M. Mottola
 Cyborg Corp.
 Newton, MA.

ins_xiar@jhunix.UUCP (Beeg Ike) (11/13/85)

> 
> My 1984 Pontiac Fiero just did a strange thing this morning (Monday morning
> of course!).
> 
> I parked it in the garage Friday afternoon and everything was working fine.
> This morning, I open the door, and no interior lights come on.  Whoops!
> I must have left my door ajar all weekend.  No problem, I'll just push start
> it (manual transmission).  As soon as the car gets rolling, the interior light
> comes on (I had my door open), the radio comes to life, and I start the car
> with the ignition switch.  The radio did 'forget' the time and the preset
> stations.
> 
> Everything was fine on the drive into work, but what happened?  I obviously
> completely lost power, because the radio lost its memory.  What happened
> and what fixed it??
> 
> 					Thanks for any info,
> 					Jim Brohard


As with any electrical problem it's a bit hard to do anything but speculate
without having the car right in front of me, but here's how I'd go after it.
1st is the battery terminals. Tight? Clean contacts? Don't forget the    
leaded connectors on the battery wires could be open- twist wires to find out.
Next find the ignition switch feeder is-- usually on firewall, but sometimes
on starter, alternator, etc. If this dosen't get it you've got a Halloween
present from GM. Best bet is to send in last page of owner's manual to GM to get
shop manual so you can follow wiring diagram. Last thoughts-- Check bulkheads!
k
-- 
_______________________________________________________________________________

			Ike Rosenbaum
		..!seismo!aplvax!aplcen!jhunix!ins_xiar.UUCP
			G46I3482@JHUVM.BITNET

kemasa@sdcc13.UUCP (kemasa) (11/26/85)

My room-mate's Fiero did the same thing several times before I looked at it,
it was a bad connection at the neg. battery connection and sometimes it
would start and other times it wouldn't.

					Kemasa.