Ok, So I just bought my first 3rd Gen, Camaro. I love the thing to death. It is the 350 5.7
I am having some problems with the electrical, I need your help, please?
Sooo, this is what is happening. I turn on the car and the lights, i start driving down the road then my headlights go out, so does the after market stereo, the dome light, the door locks, and all the gauge lights. Even when i don't turn the lights on and am driving down the road the stereo will shut off, then i can't turn the light on, the dome won't work and neither will the door locks. I can't figure out what it is. They do come back on after a little bit, but then go back out. It is really weird. Does anyone know what could be going on? I thought it may be a ground wire? all the grounds looked fine to me. what could it be? a relay, just a burnt wire? haha i don't know, but i want it fixed so i can drive at night, and also during the day with a fully functional radio. haha thanks for your help guys LET ME KNOW!

 

I'd be checking the wire that goes from your starter into the harness powering the rest of the car. Sounds like your dash is only getting juice back feeding from alternator voltage gauge wire or something.

 

Ok, I check that last night. I jacked the car up, the fusable link from the starter seems to be in working condition and is not burnt out. The alternator is pushing 14.2 volts. ummm, i am not sure, do you have any other suggestions?

 

Can we assume you've checked your common accessory fuse, along with all the others, and have inspected the aftermarket stereo splicing installation?

 

Yes, i have checked all of that fun stuff. The person that installed the stereo system did an absolute crap job and wired it into the harness. there are a couple hot wires layin out, electrical tape over everything. I was pissed when i saw this. So i pulled all that stuff out so none of the wires could touch anything. But all the stuff still keeps shutting off even when i did that. Have any ideas?

 

I'm still thinking something under the hood. I'm assuming the car is running fine and that the starter cranks fine when your interior is dark. If you had a short drawing that much power in the cab you would be blowing fuses and smelling smoke.

While its running and preferably when the lights aren't working: You are getting 14 volts at the battery when its running?
If you put your volt meter at the negative battery terminal and the positive probe at the other end of the negative battery ground wire you should measure less than 2 volts. Voltage drop. Move the positive meter probe to the block and any other grounds you can reach.

The main ground for my cars is the firewall next to the heater pass through with a strap running to the block.

 

Without looking at the wiring of the stereo myself I'm thinking that it is coming from there. Maybe when they spliced into the power they damaged the wire so that it does not always make a good connection. I would get under there with everything on and start wiggling wires back there. If it goes off then you can find what wire is causing this.

 

HEY!!! I'd like to thank you all guys that helped me out with my car. I checked those fusable links a billion times, the very end of one of them was burnt and so it took forever to find. It wouldn't just pull apart so I didn't think it was that. You guys know what you are talking about, Now my Iroc runs amazing and I can actually listen to the radio, and also see at night with the lights THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

 

Good to hear! Thanks for closing the issue. It helps the rest of us when a similiar problem pops up.

Hopefully cleaning up your stereo mess fixed the root cause the link blowing.