Dashboard Blinks?

Yozuki Ri · 04-05-2009, 09:27 PM

Hear is an odd dilemma. When I turn the key the entire instrument panel blinks at me in defiance. Both the alternator, oil and engine lights all turn on. The altnernator was recently replaced (and tested). However, the engine will not crank over.

We've had poor Christine jumpered, but she doesn't want to budge. Any ideas? I assume it is some kind of electrical problem or a dying battery. I don't think the fuel has gone bad, it's only been sitting for a month. But, it hasn't been fueled up since I bought it either.

[Edit] To show her rage, her outside signal lights turn to life. The battery will hold a charge after being jumpered, but it doesn't take long to die out. Everything elctrical appears to work. It started doing this after I drove it in and came back to test it a week later.

Gairloch · 04-05-2009, 11:14 PM

Hey man, where you from? I live the north metro.

Have you had your electrical system tested? Have you checked to see if there are any codes?

Yozuki Ri · 04-06-2009, 10:26 AM

I'm from the Brainered/St. Cloud area (the middle of the middle of nowhere). The electrical system has not been tested. How do I go about looking up codes?

I fired it up again this morning - perhaps it was the weather, maybe not. Everything that is a light would strobe. Very weird.

Yozuki Ri · 04-10-2009, 09:23 PM

[Update]
-Bought Charger
-Battery charges
-Car dashboard, hazard lights, door lights and brake lights still strobe
-Hooked up booster from charger, cranked car
-Engine shuddered, lots of clicking noises

[Theory]
-The starter is the cause of the short

[Trouble Shoot]
-Voltmeter on Monday

[Solution]
-Install new starter
-Take hammer after old starter

[Wholly Bully Mammoth Smile]
^______________________^

Yozuki Ri · 04-16-2009, 07:04 PM

Well, my problem was interesting. The previous car owner neglected to inform me that this car comes with a car alarm. I knew it was a keyless entry. For whatever reason, the alarm armed itself. And then it gets weird, it would have been a dead giveaway if it was hooked in, but the horn, or circuit to activate the horn was disabled. The alarm also seems to have issues with draining the battery.

Anyway, once it is active, the alarm will cut power to the starter. Deactivating it is as simple as turning the car on (don't start it), and hitting a button on the keychain.

This alarm in particular is a Rattler 300. It is a Viper 300ESP, rebranded for sale at the now defunct Circuit City (or it is Best Buy?), around the 1996 year. It'll take some searching but the manual for it can be found online. If possible I'll include it for future reference.

As to what set off the alarm, I'm not sure. I first had the problem when I tried to use a recently cut spare key. That -may- have done it. However, the engine would turn over if jumpered, but would fizzle out. Eventually it quit altogether. Trying to jumper it at a later date, or via a booster, didn't yield any results.

That's a skippy car alarm.

-Yozuki out.

04-05-2009, 09:27 PM	#1 (permalink)
Yozuki Ri Cage Fighter Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 170 Thanks: 8 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Dashboard Blinks? Hear is an odd dilemma. When I turn the key the entire instrument panel blinks at me in defiance. Both the alternator, oil and engine lights all turn on. The altnernator was recently replaced (and tested). However, the engine will not crank over. We've had poor Christine jumpered, but she doesn't want to budge. Any ideas? I assume it is some kind of electrical problem or a dying battery. I don't think the fuel has gone bad, it's only been sitting for a month. But, it hasn't been fueled up since I bought it either. [Edit] To show her rage, her outside signal lights turn to life. The battery will hold a charge after being jumpered, but it doesn't take long to die out. Everything elctrical appears to work. It started doing this after I drove it in and came back to test it a week later.

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04-05-2009, 11:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
Gairloch Dreaming of apexes Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 5,313 Thanks: 139 Thanked 296 Times in 264 Posts Blog Entries: 4 My Google Map iTrader Rating: (7/100% )	Hey man, where you from? I live the north metro. Have you had your electrical system tested? Have you checked to see if there are any codes?

04-06-2009, 10:26 AM	#3 (permalink)
Yozuki Ri Cage Fighter Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 170 Thanks: 8 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	I'm from the Brainered/St. Cloud area (the middle of the middle of nowhere). The electrical system has not been tested. How do I go about looking up codes? I fired it up again this morning - perhaps it was the weather, maybe not. Everything that is a light would strobe. Very weird.

04-10-2009, 09:23 PM	#4 (permalink)
Yozuki Ri Cage Fighter Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 170 Thanks: 8 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	[Update] -Bought Charger -Battery charges -Car dashboard, hazard lights, door lights and brake lights still strobe -Hooked up booster from charger, cranked car -Engine shuddered, lots of clicking noises [Theory] -The starter is the cause of the short [Trouble Shoot] -Voltmeter on Monday [Solution] -Install new starter -Take hammer after old starter [Wholly Bully Mammoth Smile] ^______________________^

04-16-2009, 07:04 PM	#5 (permalink)
Yozuki Ri Cage Fighter Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 170 Thanks: 8 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Well, my problem was interesting. The previous car owner neglected to inform me that this car comes with a car alarm. I knew it was a keyless entry. For whatever reason, the alarm armed itself. And then it gets weird, it would have been a dead giveaway if it was hooked in, but the horn, or circuit to activate the horn was disabled. The alarm also seems to have issues with draining the battery. Anyway, once it is active, the alarm will cut power to the starter. Deactivating it is as simple as turning the car on (don't start it), and hitting a button on the keychain. This alarm in particular is a Rattler 300. It is a Viper 300ESP, rebranded for sale at the now defunct Circuit City (or it is Best Buy?), around the 1996 year. It'll take some searching but the manual for it can be found online. If possible I'll include it for future reference. As to what set off the alarm, I'm not sure. I first had the problem when I tried to use a recently cut spare key. That -may- have done it. However, the engine would turn over if jumpered, but would fizzle out. Eventually it quit altogether. Trying to jumper it at a later date, or via a booster, didn't yield any results. That's a skippy car alarm. -Yozuki out.