Gauges jump and car dies and won't stay running

[Zakkb787]

So I'm driving home down the mountain from work and I look down and my gauges have just gone dead, even the speedo and tach. They immediately start back up as if I had just turned the key on. All the lights came on and went off as usual and the gauges work normal again. I get to the bottom of the mountain and come to a red light and the car dies. When I tried to start it, it fired up and died immediately. It did this even with the gas to the floor. I finally got it to run and for about three miles the gauges are jumping like crazy, going all sorts of speeds and rpms. I am completely stumped. I haven't driven it sense then, which was Wednesday. Anybody have any clue whatsoever????

[deevergote]

Sounds like a snapped ground. Check all your major ground connections. Make sure they're all tight, and that all the connections are clean. Double check the battery connections as well (clean and tight.)

[cb7 calling]

When the gauges jump like that its probably a voltage problem. Caused by a bad ground like server said or battery or alternator. Any part shop will check the battery and alternator for free. Bad grounds can be tricky to pinpoint.

[evil_demon_01]

Either has already been said a bad ground, or it could also be a faulty ignition switch.

[totaldoughnut]

Would the main relay maybe cause that also? If its just starting to fail perhaps.

[Zakkb787]

Ive checked what i can see under the hood. It has a new alternator but I bought it from ebay so dont know if its already going out. Yesterday I cleaned the battery cable ends and greased them up and let the computer re-set and it ran fine. Go to crank it up today and it starts it again. This time my dash clock flickered, then I turned it off and it fired up and died immediately every time. So... where are all of my major grounds... and how do I check the ignition switch?

[steelbluesleepR]

Check the ground on the thermostat housing. my car was down, doing exactly that, for a couple weeks after I replaced my intake manifold because that bolt wasn't tightened all of the way.

[Zakkb787]

Also I forgot to mention that for a few weeks I have noticed that my brake lamp light on my dash has been wanting to stay on sometimes. If I turned the car off and back on it'd stay off. My brake lights worked fine so I never thought anything of it. Could this be a part of the problem?

[530-CB7]

Even the power cable can cause this mine was loose and I was having the same problem make sure the connections on the battery are tight and clean

[Zakkb787]

Just checked all Visable grounds. Coming from the battery they are good and so is the one from the valve cover. I'm going to try some new cable ends. Any other grounds or suggestions?

[oyajicool]

If the grounds are OK, I think it is your ignition switch as mentioned already on this thread.

[evil_demon_01]

then I turned it off and it fired up and died immediately every time. So... where are all of my major grounds... and how do I check the ignition switch?

Sound like ignition switch, Hold the ignition round on start - Does it stay running then as soon as you let the key go it dies?

If it's back to running fine again, wiggle back and forth gently, does it die when you do that?

[Zakkb787]

I'm gonna go ahead and change the switch because it has always been finicky. I'll also still change my cable ends and see what that does. Will this fix the brank lamp light too?

[oyajicool]

No, I don't think so.

[evil_demon_01]

I'm gonna go ahead and change the switch because it has always been finicky. I'll also still change my cable ends and see what that does. Will this fix the brank lamp light too?

Brake light coming on will be the black/brown boxes in the boot by the taillights, Also check for corrosion on the plug that goes into them.