Strange electrical problem..possibly - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

Alberta_ZR1 · 06-22-2011

I was out for a drive in the Z this evening and as I got on it to tangle with a Porsche, I reached the top of 4th and I noticed all of the warning lights started flickering (on/off) in the information centre, the speedo reading went out and the RPM gauge froze. It only did it for a second or so, then it was back to normal.

Later this evening I went and took the car for a wash and as I started pulling into the garage it started to do the exact same thing and I could hear what sounded like a relay kicking in and out.

The alternator is brand new and the battery doesn't appear to be that old. It was replaced by the previous owner before I got the car.

I'm going to throw the trickle charger on the battery tonight and check all the cable ends, but any other suggestions?? It has never ever done this before and the car has been out for two 6.5 journey's this spring.

Thanks for the help,

Tyler

HAWAIIZR-1 · 06-22-2011

Sorry, can't help you with the problem...........but I hope you don't mind if I ask if you beat the Porsche and what kind was it? Sorry, just had to ask.

I hope you get it resolved. I have a different kind of electrical problem of my own and those seem to be the most difficult to troubleshoot.

tomtom72 · 06-22-2011

Oh jez...if mine did that I'd have passed out! I hate electrical issues because I stink at them.

However, could you get a general location of that relay you heard clicking? I'm asking as they are a bunch of them in our cars. There are like four or five right in the cockpit. The clicking should be the contacts pulling in & out as it lost power to keep them in. This could be a feed or a ground that was becoming intermittent....on our cars I would say a ground is a good bet unless your battery is leaving. It may not be dead, but rather have a cell or two that are becoming shorted and that would cause a voltage drop. I think I would look to see as many grounds as I could find to eye up, and then I would test the battery for both voltage and do a hydrometer test or a load test if you have a load tester.

One time my car behaved like that I had left something on & I killed my battery. I opened the door and all I had was I think the relay that does the interior lights' delay timer doing that clicking thing before everything went dark.

Tom

QB93Z · 06-22-2011

My first suggestion is to check all of the connections to the battery and the alternator. Take the battery cables off the battery and inspect the screws and cable ends for corrosion. Replace if they are questionable. Then reconnect everything.

Good luck.

Jim

XfireZ51 · 06-22-2011

The relay clicking suggests interruption of electrical power. I get that clicking when I disconnect and connect battery power.

Alberta_ZR1 · 06-22-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by HAWAIIZR-1

Sorry, can't help you with the problem...........but I hope you don't mind if I ask if you beat the Porsche and what kind was it? Sorry, just had to ask.

As near as I could tell it appears to have been maybe a 930 Turbo. It wasn't new enough to be the 964. I was a little disappointed that I wasn't able to beat him, but I did put up a good fight! He wasn't able to "walk" away from me, he was just pulling away every so slowly. It definitely made me consider buying up a family members 06 Z06!

Quote:

Originally Posted by QB93Z

My first suggestion is to check all of the connections to the battery and the alternator. Take the battery cables off the battery and inspect the screws and cable ends for corrosion. Replace if they are questionable. Then reconnect everything.

Good luck.

Jim

I appreciate everyone's feedback on this. I figured it was a power source problem due to all the electronics going snaky for no particular reason. I noticed last night when I was checking the cables that the battery kill quick disconnect knob on the negative post was slightly loose, so I'm hoping that's all it was.

I'll check the connections on the alternator tonight now that the motor is cold.

The plan was to go to Montana for the weekend, so hopefully I can find the problem and it won't leave me stranded down there.

GOLDCYLON · 06-22-2011

Could be an internal short in the battery under load. Get it tested under load. All C4s are battery power whores who require 12.69 volts all the time. Not enough volts and they do quirky electrical things. That were Id start beyond the cables. GC

XfireZ51 · 06-22-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOLDCYLON

Could be an internal short in the battery under load. Get it tested under load. All C4s are battery power whores who require 12.69 volts all the time. Not enough volts and they do quirky electrical things. That were Id start beyond the cables. GC

Those battery quick disconnects are HORRID! Would never use them. They get loose over time and you can never tighten them enough.

gbrtng · 06-22-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alberta_ZR1

I noticed last night when I was checking the cables that the battery kill quick disconnect knob on the negative post was slightly loose, so I'm hoping that's all it was.

That's your problem - dump the kill switch and get a $20 float charger at WallyWorld instead. Don't know if they are available in Canada, but take a look. Maker is Schumaker, 1.5 amp

HAWAIIZR-1 · 06-22-2011

Tyler,

Thanks for the reply and for sharing; Porches are quick cars so no one can question that. I hope you can resolve the electrical issue soon.

Craig

06-22-2011	#1
Alberta_ZR1 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Calgary Alberta Posts: 191	Strange electrical problem..possibly I was out for a drive in the Z this evening and as I got on it to tangle with a Porsche, I reached the top of 4th and I noticed all of the warning lights started flickering (on/off) in the information centre, the speedo reading went out and the RPM gauge froze. It only did it for a second or so, then it was back to normal. Later this evening I went and took the car for a wash and as I started pulling into the garage it started to do the exact same thing and I could hear what sounded like a relay kicking in and out. The alternator is brand new and the battery doesn't appear to be that old. It was replaced by the previous owner before I got the car. I'm going to throw the trickle charger on the battery tonight and check all the cable ends, but any other suggestions?? It has never ever done this before and the car has been out for two 6.5 journey's this spring. Thanks for the help, Tyler __________________ [SIZE=1][SIZE=2]Tyler[/SIZE] [SIZE=1]1993 ZR-1 - Polo Green[/SIZE] [/SIZE] Last edited by Alberta_ZR1; 06-22-2011 at 02:01 AM.

06-22-2011	#2
HAWAIIZR-1 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Japan Posts: 3,581	Re: Strange electrical problem..possibly Sorry, can't help you with the problem...........but I hope you don't mind if I ask if you beat the Porsche and what kind was it? Sorry, just had to ask. I hope you get it resolved. I have a different kind of electrical problem of my own and those seem to be the most difficult to troubleshoot. __________________ Craig "ZR-1 NO KA 'OI" "ZR-1 ICHIBAN" 1995 #228 Black/Black with Dunn Heads ZR-1 owner since September 2003 ZR-1 Net Registry Founding Member #0074 NCM Lifetime Member #2048

06-22-2011	#3
tomtom72 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Jacksonville, FL USA Posts: 4,645	Re: Strange electrical problem..possibly Oh jez...if mine did that I'd have passed out! I hate electrical issues because I stink at them. However, could you get a general location of that relay you heard clicking? I'm asking as they are a bunch of them in our cars. There are like four or five right in the cockpit. The clicking should be the contacts pulling in & out as it lost power to keep them in. This could be a feed or a ground that was becoming intermittent....on our cars I would say a ground is a good bet unless your battery is leaving. It may not be dead, but rather have a cell or two that are becoming shorted and that would cause a voltage drop. I think I would look to see as many grounds as I could find to eye up, and then I would test the battery for both voltage and do a hydrometer test or a load test if you have a load tester. One time my car behaved like that I had left something on & I killed my battery. I opened the door and all I had was I think the relay that does the interior lights' delay timer doing that clicking thing before everything went dark. Tom __________________ 1990 ZR-1, Black/grey, #2233, stock. ZR-1 Net Reg Founding Member #316 & NCM member

06-22-2011	#4
QB93Z Join Date: May 2007 Location: Westminster, Maryland Posts: 3,689	Re: Strange electrical problem..possibly My first suggestion is to check all of the connections to the battery and the alternator. Take the battery cables off the battery and inspect the screws and cable ends for corrosion. Replace if they are questionable. Then reconnect everything. Good luck. Jim __________________ If it isn't fun, you aren't doing it right! 1990 Black ZR-1 - sold 1993 Quasar Blue ZR-1 1994 Competition Yellow ZR-1 1995 Dark Purple ZR-1 Maryland State Coordinator WAZOO Member

06-22-2011	#5
XfireZ51 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chicagoland, IL Posts: 9,708	Re: Strange electrical problem..possibly The relay clicking suggests interruption of electrical power. I get that clicking when I disconnect and connect battery power.

06-22-2011	#7
GOLDCYLON Join Date: May 2007 Location: Peoria, AZ Posts: 9,155	Re: Strange electrical problem..possibly Could be an internal short in the battery under load. Get it tested under load. All C4s are battery power whores who require 12.69 volts all the time. Not enough volts and they do quirky electrical things. That were Id start beyond the cables. GC __________________ GOLDCYLON - 91 ZR-1 #2014 GOLDCYLON - 90 ZR-1 #2794, 4L60e (Formerly Schrade's) GOLDCYLON - 11 CTS-V Arizona State Director 91 WHITE/BLACK #2014. 380 P&P&PCed,Ported Heads, Jeal Long tubes, Corsa Exhaust/FIKSE FM-5s /LED TLs, LED Headlights, Front Wilwood 6 piston narrowlite calipers and rear Wilwood caliper street shop mod,CNCed Coolant Pipes,TPI Cvr,Filter cover,Stainless Bolts, DRM/DOM PROM /ZFDOC mod build #102,DRLs,BMAD with stainless Debris Screen,Coplan Air Blaster, Pioneer APP Radio 4,Brey-Krause HB,Sub Bar,Fire extinguisher seat mount,DRM Coilovers,LEDs everywhere,Compass mirror (orange),V1 DIC hidden display, Homelink sun visor, Carbon Fiber top x3 and APSIS Carbon Fiber interior, APSIS CF Steering Wheel/NAPA Leather, Banski trailing arms, Guldstrand front suspension,urethane bushings from Prothane (total suspension) ZFDoc drive shaft safety loop, raptor shift light (orange),AO engineering louver front plate, Console seat cushion, 96CE seats with black custom Sheepskins, ss billet catch can,Viper remote entry/alarm,Cragar Rear Louvers,LED side louver lights, Dewitts Radiator with SPAL fans and a Woods 160 T-Stat 90 RED/BLACK #2794. 4L60e Automatic Stage V by RPM Transmission, TCI Dedicated TCM, OBX Stainless Headers, Corsa Exhaust, SAN Secondaries and Haibeck PROM, Exotic Muscle Coil overs, LED Interior Lights, LED Tail Lights, LED Headlights, 94 Sport seats with black custom Sheepskins , Cragar rear louvers, GS Front calipers, Banski Trailing arms, APSIS Carbon Fiber steering wheel, Front and Rear Baer Eradispeeds, DRLs, Guldstrand front suspension,urethane bushings from Prothane (total suspension), Dewitt's Raditor with Dual SPAL fans and a Haibeck 170 T-Stat 11 RED/GREY CTS-V