So here is the situation: at first I thought i just had a problem with the wiring in my audio system because it was the first to start cutting off when i was just driving normally. Like just cruising down the highway normally nothing silly and bam all my speakers cut off but the headunit is still powered on and working normally, i would have to turn the system off and turn it back on and it would work for a little while then cutoff again.

last night i was trying to solve this problem and re did the wiring for my sub and amp, then i found out no matter what if i connect the amp turn on, the system would completely lose power the headunit powers on and indicates its working normally but no sound. So now im like wtf? so i took the amp and sub out the audio system is working and decided to would figure it out later.

so later that night me and my friends being complete morons on the highway no explanation need there. I was going from 2nd to 3rd as i got of the throttle and pushed the clutch the car died, the way i could tell was because there was a big jolt when i put it in 3rd then all of a sudden another surge foward as the car cut back on from the clutch being re-engaged i look down at the gauges and the airbag light is on as if i just started the car.

that was the second time that night it cut off earlier i was just messing around did a flat foot shift from 3rd to 4th and i stayed in it for a little while it was smooth nothing strange, but then when i came to a stop at the light i looked down at the gauges and the car is off.

i think all these problems are related, i think its a grounding problem, so i want to clean my current grounds and get a grounding kit aswell just to help. im also wondering about the alternator. any thoughts or suggestion?

 

Hey Crush, hows it going bud. Well let me start off by saying that ive had a very similar problem. It is electrical, go ahead and get your system tested somewhere.

Do the big three, mabey get a new alternator or battery and you may be set..

Im assuming you have the BOSE system, i had that same problem when my alterntor was dying. Everytime it died i mean... The bose is one of the first things to shut off when low voltage occurs. hence why yours kept cutting out.

as to the actual Dying of the car, its probably your grounds and/or alternator.. I really dont have an explanation for you. But your going to need to do some investigating..

 

well kinda sort of the bose system im still using bose speakers thats about it lol, yea my guess is the alternator is going bad, so it doesnt have enough power to push everything running at max capacity at the same time, that coupled with some bad grounds can spell some trouble.

I got bored so i was just out cruising just now, it was running fine, i turned the system on for a few but it started BSing so i just turned it off lol and cruised for about 30mins it didnt do anything strange but only the motor and parking lights were on so that maybe why, im scared to see what would happen if i fired up those HIDs

 

well it is very hot out (at least here in NY) and many head units will cut the power to the speakers if they run too hot to keep from frying. My pioneer does it all the time on hot days after blasting the music for a while.

 

i mean its like 12 midnight, its not that hot when it cuts outs, and i use to be able to blast the system at full volume with out a problem no matter how hot is was.

 

no other suggestions?

 

Sounds like the alternator stops charging in the upper rpm. Having it tested at autozone probably won't do much either. Original alternator?
Might be a belt issue as well, maybe it's slipping...

 

If you fixed your A/C .. it would keep everything inside cool and you won't have problems.

 

cliffs?

 

Before changing alternator and battery, why not drive around with a voltmeter attached? What are they 10 bucks or so?
I guess it is the auto techs way: change the most expensive or scary complicated part first.

 

Heres the final word on this, go get your chargeing system tested bud! is money tight and you cant right now or something?

The fact that the car died at high RPM's is probably either related to it not chargeing at the higher rpms or the fact that it cannot produce the apropriate amperage to fire the cylinders. which leads us back to square one.

Im assumeing youve checked the Small stuff first right? bat terms are tight, grounds are tight and adaquite.. ect?

 

If I remember right the bose speakers have goofy ohm loads. (not 4's). I'd look into that as if they are not 4 ohms you can mess up the HU and cause the amp inside not to work (clip it).

Now that I read the post more carefully, how many watts rms is your amp and what ohm load do you have it in? Higher ampere draws tend to kill alts faster.

 

no.............

 

all i have is a 350w amp at 4 ohms, i doubt that can kill an alternator, the bose speakers are running 200w @ 8ohms iirc

update the car hasnt cut off in since that night, installed a grounding kit, the lights dont dim when i hit a window switch as dramatically as the use too, the car also idles smoother, i havent tried putting the sub and amp back in but i doubt a grounding kit solved the problem.

 

do you have a vafc by any chance? What does the alternator put out voltage wise when on?

 

i dunno i went to go get the alternator tested the other day and some dumb kid didnt even look like he knew what he was doing told me the alternator is not making any voltage...., yea ok how would the car be driving for the past couple of days and for the past week without the battery going dead.

i dont have a v/safc

 

If the power cuts out at high rpm then getting it tested at autozone or some place won't do anything. They just spin it up with a small motor or something like that and wait to see if it charges. When it does they stop. They don't rev it up high to replicate the conditions in which yours fails. Something like that...

 

If the power cuts out at high rpm then getting it tested at autozone or some place won't do anything. They just spin it up with a small motor or something like that and wait to see if it charges. When it does they stop. They don't rev it up high to replicate the conditions in which yours fails. Something like that...