Ok i dont know if this has happened to anyone but what i do know is this sucks and i really need to get it fixed or im gonna have to sell the car because its my DD...

Now i dont know if this is related to the problem now, but this is what happened about three weeks ago.... The headlights, tail lights, horn, radio, hatch, door locks, guages, power seats, ignition, basically NOTHING except the windows worked one day. turned out that a wire was corroded that goes from the starter to the harness. as i was trying to rewire it, the fusible link broke. i tried finding it but nobody had it. So i rewired it to the battery and put a 30 amp fuse. it worked, but it kept blowing the fuse. i eventually just ran it direct. the car never gfave me a problem. yesterday though something weird happened. i turned the car on and it shut off on me real quick. i tried to turn it back on, but it the voltmeter on the cluster showed it had low voltage. so i tried to jump it thinking it was just the battery (the volts have been low the last few days. nothing. the volt barely went to 12 even while getting jumped but it still didn't turn on. so i checked the battery, and it was showing 12.6 volts. i went to the starter, 12.6 volts. i went to the fuse on the fuse box where the bat power goes to, (20amp) and it shows 12.6. However, the voltmeter on the cluster read around 9-10 volts. some of the fuses didnt have any power, and where it says bat and ign on the fuse box, is only showed 9-10 volts. i dont get it. the hatch, headlights, taillights, interior lights, radio, and door locks wont work. but the blower, seats, horn and the ignition switch works. when i try to turn it on, you hear the starter click but doesnt do anything. at first i thought maybe the starter was bad. i even jumped it and it just clicked (the ignition was on). but i cant see it being the starter. because that doesnt explain why the fuse box is getting 12+ volts, but everything else isnt. the curvball is sometimes, the interior lights, hatch, radio would work. but not the dash lights, headlights or taillights. and as soon as i try to turn the car on, the interior lights, hatch, radio that just worked would shut off. I'm so stumped i dont know what do to. Right before it happened, i took the wires off the fog light switch and taped the power wire. is it possible, thought crazy, that maybe if that power wire were to have grounded itself, it could have caused this? none of the fuses are blown. but could it have blown a relay or something? could that cause the drain thats causing everything to have 2 volts less tan the battery and when the fuse box is getting 12+ volts.? could GM have been that effing stupid to wire so many things to a damn fog light switch? someone please help. i cant afford to bring it to a shop. anyone have any slight idea what it could be?

 

pretty long post there, but you forgot to mention what the car is or what engine is in it.

Anyways I think I would first check the 3 fusible links at the starter they burn up pretty easy and also if they are slightly loose they can do the symptons you are describing. Just a thought, and reletively easy check.

 

Its an 87 iroc. originally a 305 tpi now its a 350tpi. i checked the wires to the starter and they're tight . you think if the hot wire to the fog light switch grounded itself it could cause this? it would explain why even when the radio, hatch door locks and iterior lights work randomly, the headlights and dash lights still wont work. and if its still grounded then it could be causing the draw. possible??

 

Better check where you bypassed the fusabe link. you gotta have some resistance right there. It's not the fog light switch.........

 

i checed it. its getting 12+ volts. :-( this really sucks :-(

 

where in jersey do you live i could help you take a look at it electrical is my specialty.. check your battery terminals theses damn side posts are notorious for getting corroded you may still have 12.6v but amps its what you want.. take off the terminals hit em with a wire brush and give that a try

 

i live in jersey city but the car is in montclair at my job. it's right off valley road. that would be so awesome if you could help. i'll pm you with my cell number.