Stang leaves me confused.

[Mileshigh]

So yesterday around 10am i took the gauge cluster out of my car to get some trash out of it that got behind the plastic. I drove it around like all day with out the cluster in it and last night on the way home it did something very weird. So getting off the interstate the radio started to change stations and turn off and on by itself. so i just turned it off thinking the factory piece was acting up, but then after coming to a stop at a light, i went to go and when i hit the gas the car started to die and bucking, if i let off the gas it ran fine. I managed to limp it to the closest parking lot were as i turned it to a spot it died. I then tried to start it were it attempted to turn over then started clicking like a dead battery does. So i had a friend come and jump me off and it started immediately with no problems and ran like normal home. Any ideas what caused this? Never had any battery issues before, when i got home like 2mins after it was jumped i turned the car off and tried to crank it and it started like normal on the first try.

car: 1998 GT with bullitt intake and msd iginition system. and an Interstate Mammoth Battery

 

[stangman11]

Believe it or not I have seen issues like that I like to use the term "ghost car" when it acts up like that. But yea some cars especially newer ones with all types of electronic control modules depending on electricity can act up in very odd ways when the only problem is the battery. Because you stated that after your friend gave you a jump start it ran fine I would first replace the battery and see what happens.

 

[rock4451]

MSD...should be used as a paperweight only.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

To me this sounds like a loose connection or corrosion. Perhaps a corroded cable somewhere. I think this will only get worse until you discover the intermittent connection problem whether it be caused by a loose connection or corrosion.

My Cobra would randomly not start and have no electricity to anything. I would slam the driver's door and all was fine... Turned out the negative battery terminal was super loose due to the stealership techs not reconnecting it properly after servicing.

 

[squeak93]

MSD...should be used as a paperweight only.

Useless post like this need deleted.



Anyway, to the op. Check for something that you unplugged that could be grounding out. I guess first of all, reconnect your factory cluster and make sure you didn't pull a wire out of a clip when you pulled them off the cluster. I'd start there and suspect that is your culprit as this started after you pulled it apart.

 

[trombonedemon]

Hmm, sounds like a short somewhere. Check your grounds as well. Also check your alternator and the voltage regulator, where ever it may be. The bucking sounds like some missfires like when your sparkplugs go bad. It was ok when you were idleling but when your car needed more electricity for the plugs your battery couldn't support the extra need for it. Don't think your battery is the problem! Did the lights on the radio dim and brighten? But I think your battery is not being maintained properly by your alternator.

 

[Mileshigh]

well i put the cluster back in that night before we jumped it because is wasnt sure if the cars theft system trip or something. Ever since we jumped it i havent had a problem. The first thing i did when i pulled over was to look for something grounded but found nothing. I ment to say that as the car was bucking it started to make some buzzer/dinger to sound that would ding like 6 times then stop for a second and the start again. Like I said i didnt have the cluster in so i couldnt see it the check engine light was on or off. Going today to have the alternator checked.

 

[Ryan441]

when i first got my car i pulled the battery out over night and when i put it back in with all the terminals tight and everything it would randomly start bucking and the guages going crazy. one day it stopped. another time it was sputtering thought something bad was wrong let it sit for a week than it went away and ran fine.

 

[fast97gt]

Yep msd is useles unless your pushin like a lot of HP
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[blubullett]

Yep msd is useles unless your pushin like a lot of HP
Posted via Mobile Device

Like a whole lotta HP.

 

[ghostriders]

when i first got my car i pulled the battery out over night and when i put it back in with all the terminals tight and everything it would randomly start bucking and the guages going crazy. one day it stopped. another time it was sputtering thought something bad was wrong let it sit for a week than it went away and ran fine.

diagnosis: it is a ford, which is good and bad depending on when you ask and how many miles you have on the car - just had to get my pinion seal fixed under warranty w/less than 30k miles - I have a lexus bought new that has 115k miles and no warranty claims...and then today my back quarter panel window on one side stopped working on the stang...2 weeks before the warranty is set to expire...at least it is good looking...thank you detroit

 

[Mileshigh]

Alternator and battery checked out to be good, any chance that 98gt have some sort of anit theft device that detects the gauge cluster? May this is what caused this?

 

[trombonedemon]

You know, someone else had a problem with a short to voltage problem with there anti-theft. The anti-theft right beside your battery, white and then pink I think, I get my wiring diagram to confirm, but it kind of sounds like it might be grounding out, I accidently to pulled apart the wire it was connected to;quickly found out the car wouldn't run w/o those connections, a brown and some other color wire. Try the wiggle test with it to start when the car is running. Oh yea put your cluster back in to see if that the light is flashing with the anti-theft when the car is off. If I was a bettin' man I would think that wire was grounding out some how after the re-charging/maintaining system was considered operable! Would you like the wiring diagram?

 

[Mileshigh]

yea i mean im open to anything really because i was lucky enough to have a friend close by that could come jump me off at 2am in a bad part of raleigh. I just dont want to have this happen again! The theft light does blink when the car is off which i thought was normal. I might take the cluster out again and drive it to see if it does it again...and then i guess ill know if thats what caused it

 

[trombonedemon]

O.k., I am going to figure exactly how my scanner works, but in the mean time, I am looking at the wiring diagram. From the INSTRUMENT CLUSTER-Light Green/ Red= Generator/Voltage Regulator, Black/yellow=Airbag Diagnostic Monitor, Dark Green= splices Anti-lock Brake control module and ABS Diagnostic connector, Pink/ Light Green=goes from MIL to PCM, White/ Light Green= Trans Control Indicator (OD Off) to the PCM, Light Blue=from Low Coolant indicator to Low engine Coolant Swith which goes to Black Yellow/Red, Tachometer=Tan/yellow or Orange/white which goes to the PCM, The Tach also has Black/Yellow and another Black/Yellow, White/red=goes from oil pressure gauge to the engine oil pressure switch, The volt meter is Black/Light blu then splices to Black, then you have the Fuel gauge wich is spliced to the Slosh module Yellow /white then it goes to the Fuel gauge Sendor, Speedomter Pink/ orange and Grey/Black this goes to the Vehicle Speed Sensor. All of these wires are coming from the instrument cluster and going else where.
Find OEM operators manual for fuses and relays. Ignition switch fuse is 40amps=Yellow and goes to the ignition switch, o.k. the White/Pink wire goes from the ignition switch connects to the to Red/Blue goes to the Clutch Pedal Positon Switch from that is still White/Pink which goes to the Anti-Theft Controller Module, From the Anti-Theft module its Red/Light Blue which if you have automatic transmision goes the transmission Range Sensor, if not, it goes back to White/Pink then to your Starter Relay. Let me know if I left something out or you need to know where somthing is.

 

[trombonedemon]

How do you know your altanator is o.k.? Is your battery reading 14 to 15 volts when running. Check your Alternator fuse, check your fusible links. Your voltage regulator could be on the fritz. On the back of the Alternator, I really don't think your cluster has anything to do with it! Just my two cents. Your alternator could functioning perfect and still be a dudd, I still think its your voltage regulator!

 

[Mileshigh]

yea i mean i just took it to the local autoparts store and had them test the charging system...and the said everything was good.