Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Help! My car is posessed!!!!!

So, I was driving to the gym this morning and pulled up to a light. As I came to a stop, it seemed like my whole electrical system cut out for a split second. Dash lights, headlghts, everything. This happened like 4 or 5 times on the way. Then on the way home, my car stalled and all the dash lights and my wipers came on. Could this be the wiring harness that Ford told me doesn't need replacing? Or is my alternator freaking out?

is it a mustang you drive or a contour?

...when all this was happening...did old music start to play on the radio?

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...when all this was happening...did old music start to play on the radio?

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The other day I beat it with a sledge hammer and the next day it Looked like new! Is this related?

ya - just a little.

Sorry fella - I haven't a clue what may be wrong. I hate electical problems...needle in a haystack they are. It could be short somewhere... But that info is as useful as t1ts on a bull!

clean your battery conections and any ground conections and make shure your fuses are pushed in all the way

Check battery connectors and have your alternator tested. Could be a loose or dirty connection on your battery.

I had a similar experience once.... Was driving the car fairly hard for about an hour before (a short highway trip, but I was rushing). As I pulled into the back lane, the batt/alt (don't remember) light came on, and the car started chuggin'/dying. It stalled and I coasted into my parking spot. I thought... hmmm bad alternator (?) and maybe the battery ran outta juice right at my driveway... lucky!!

Try to start, doesn't turn over, no solenoid click either if I remember right. Try starter again listening more carefully for solenoid click, and wipers turn on!! (only when key is in "starter" position). This freaks me, because the wiper switch is on "Off". Turn key off an on (to start) several times... about 1/2 the time the start position turns the wipers on. Car doesn't ever turn over.

I go in the house to find a number for tow truck. Just before dialing the number I decide to try one more time, because it just seemed too weird to me. Car started normally.

I drove the car nervously for a while, but it never happened again. I asked the service tech about it next time I was in the dealership. He said the body computer had belched. It "just happens" sometimes.. it reset itself and all is well again. He said when weird things happen with electical stuff (switches doing things they shouldn't etc) it's the culprit.

anyway, maybe try disconnecting the battery for a while to reset things. (?)

Good luck,

Brent

I had my wiring harness replaced, afterwards it blinked on and off twice (guages went to zero, radio cut out) turns out it was a wire from the battery to the alternator that had rubbed up against the EGR tube, got hot and melted through the wires coating.

I don't think that's your case, but the wiring can fail. Are your wires around the cooling fans or going into & around the UIM & intakes flaked & falling off? If so then you need the replacement (what year is your car?)

You might as a precaution also have the battery tested. When a cell goes bad in the battery you can get all sorts of weird behavior (wipers possessed)

Check the charging system first,(battery & alternator) & see if a bad battery might be partly to blame.

wiring harness = big money

check under the engine compartment fuse box you might have a big short !!!