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My G has been amazing for years, no issues with anything...until now.
Went out one morning and the car wouldn't start. No clicking noise, no lights, absolutely nothing, completely dead. I jiggled the positive terminal on the battery, dome lights came on and I started my car with no problem. Fast forward a few days and the same thing happens again. Completely dead but when I move around the cables to the positive terminal it works again and the car starts. This has been going on for about a month and now the service engine light just came on. Could it be a bad terminal post on the battery? I took it to my local shop and they said I replace the battery first and see because if it's not the battery they think it's the computer or possibly the power distributor which both carry hefty price tags to replace. Anyone had this issue??? I wasn't sure it was the battery since it starts perfectly after moving the cables and the battery is never drained. I'm stumped...
FYI - I took the connections off of the battery after this first happened, no corrosion or visible damage to the battery. The battery is close to 2 years old.
IMO it sounds like it's the battery. My battery died without warning the moment I was leaving for an anniversary road trip with the wife last year! It started and drove like normal, showed no corrosion or damage to wiring or terminals, and just gave out quite randomly.
Its happened before to some of my previous cars. If the car comes back to life just by wiggling the battery terminals then its just a loose connection. Tighten the battery terminals down tight enough where it cant be wiggled by hand. Make sure the bracket which holds the battery down is also tight, or else the constant moving around of the battery from everyday driving will eventually wiggle the terminal connections loose again.
I would remove the battery and take it down for a load bank test at a local parts house to verify it's all in order but your "jiggle the handle" method definitely sounds like an intermittent open circuit. You need to inspect the battery post as well as the cable lug AND the attachment points on the fusible link. That's 3 different termination points that need to be removed, cleaned with a metal brush, and reassembled using anti-oxidation grease (de-ox).
After reading more into it I'm wondering if it has to do with the fusible links. I've tightened the connection to the battery pretty tight so I think what I'm really "jiggling" around is the fusible links which in turn is putting them in the right spot to be able to start the car. Through the course of driving I'm guessing the links are moved again which is causing the issue. If I'm not mistaken the fusible links are about $20-30 bucks but I don't have a lot of time this weekend, nor do I have a small soldering gun to do the work so I guess I'll have someone do it. I'm wondering if a new battery and fusible links will do the trick. And the thing that pisses me off is that my mechanic didn't tell me that was a possibility, it was either the battery or expensive parts...
Take the battery compartment cover (not just the little access window) off and check it yourself. Use a butter knife to lift the center of the little plastic plugs so you can pull them out if you don't have a flat blade screwdriver small enough to do it. If any of those 3 connections are lose at all they just need to be cleaned and tightened.
Do be careful since the system is energized, if you don't have a 10mm to take the NEGATIVE cable off then wear gloves or use an old towel over the energized side of the battery so you don't shock yourself. The fusible link is replaceable (no soldering required it's just bolted on as a unit) but I suspect your problem is just a loose bolt.
So I checked and tightened the connections, no signs of corrosion. I'm guessing the fusible link is the next step. After reading the post below I'm a little concerned that it is more involved than that...
Wanted to bump this thread, semi-new battery, brand new alternator, battery and brake lights persisted. Turns out it was a 10amp fuse in the battery bay. #36 Alternator.
Wanted to bump this thread, semi-new battery, brand new alternator, battery and brake lights persisted. Turns out it was a 10amp fuse in the battery bay. #36 Alternator.
you had the wrong amperage of fuse there? or was the fuse bad?
Computer/Power distrubtor? What do you think?
