I was on my way back to school today, in moderate traffic when I was coasting at about 30 MPH to a light. All of the sudden everything went dead, radio, AC, the Speedo and Tach went to Zero even though I was still coasting and I think the engine too because I don't remember hearing the exhaust. Then 2 seconds later everything went back on, the engine didnt stumble one bit or anything, the radio came back on, the air. And everyhting was fine after that. Now this has never happened to me in the 3 years I've owned this car. What really surpises me is that the engine didn't die. Since all the other elect. systems in the car died, I figure the coil, fuel pump and the injestors would have died too.

Any idea?
Chris

Oh yeah, seperate problem, when I brake or turn sharply I get a popping noise, could this be the ball joints or something else?

 

Sounds like your altenator or battery .Summer is hard on these ! ....The popping your hearing sounds like your idler arm or pitman arm.

 

Haven't got a clue, but it happened to me once in a '70 RS Camaro I had years ago. Everything just quit for a moment. All I could think of was a movie I saw where everything died when the flying saucers went overhead. Come to think of it, an alien abduction would explain some of my personality quirks!

 

I could not get the time to fix it, and it ate the alternator too.

 

Don't Laugh!

This may sound like a ridiculous answer but electrical interference could possibly cause this. I remember reading about someone with a Nissan passing a weather ball and having a similar problem. It would only shut down when the weather ball was on the right. Was this a new route? Any weird object (not UFOs) around where this happened?

 

No this was a fairly common route, litterally thousands of cars use it ever day (5 lane road) I have used it for 6 years and have never had a problem. One guy I talked to said it was a fusable link. I don't know

 

Sometimes you have to ground the engine really well, because all the factory grounds are just getting funky after so many years.

A battery cable from one of your accesory brackets to the fender will solve that.