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Hey folks, I need some help with an electrical short/bad connection on my 97 Sebring LXI coupe. Battery was replaced about a month ago, no problems then. 3 weeks after the new battery, my check engine light begins to come on for 3 days, off, and back on. Then my anti-lock brake warning came on the other day.
It appears I have a short or bad connection somewhere in my electrical system and I have no clue where it might be. I go to start my car at a gas station and it goes completely dead, no interior lights, etc. It jumps off the first try. Battery cables, connectors. and grounding cable are fine from where I can see. 3 week old battery checked good and a brand new battery won't start the car.....just the starter clicking. I noticed as this was happening a few days ago that my stereo would reset when I hit my brakes. This was while my anti-lock warning light was on and maybe it is related, maybe not.
As I was driving home tonight before getting the 2nd new battery, I noticed my lights were suddenly going dim and then bright while the car was running. I'm talking pulsing wthin milliseconds at a time, not more than that. Lights did not dim except for the continuous pulsing while idling. Alternator appears fine.
Does anyone have an idea what I should look at? I inspected the connectors and wiring from where I could on top and didn't see anything. It was an intermittent short or bad connection and now it's all the time. I cleaned the battery connectors and made sure they were tightened on my 2nd new battery, but that wasn't it. I reseated the fuses and no change.
As expected, I'm getting a check engine light code of 12 battery disconnect followed by 55 last code.
some more helpful info:
6 cylinder 2.5L 141,000 miles alternator never replaced starter never replaced no electrical add ons stock stereo, lights, etc. interior lights would intermittently go on/off without engine running at times when doors were open in the last 3 weeks
Thanks in advance,
Scott
« Last Edit: October 31, 2007, 01:39:20 PM by freakerdude »
I know on our car the battery cable going to the battery needed to be replaced. I think it was a break inside of the cables that you couldn't see? Our radio would turn on and off as well as the lights. I think that is all he had to replace on the car. I think he also said that the car was draining the battery. I'll try and ask Dave tonight if that was all he had to replace to get that part of the car working again. Good Luck!
Thanks TH. They found the same thing on my car today. The main battery cable in the harness that was not visible from the top was shorting out. Chrysler wanted to charge me $300 for a new harness and $200 labor. I talked them into patching the main cable since they had trouble ordering the harness. I escaped for $132.
I know exactly what your going thru. dtc 12 is a battery disconnect. All these symptoms are consistent with the way these cars act when they have a bad connection at the positive battery terminal, wire or post.
If you want to prove it just turn on the headlights for a couple of minutes with the engine off and then feel how hot the positive terminal or post is getting.
A quick check with a DVOM lead on the post and the other on the connection will turn up a volt or so of voltage drop meaning that some of the electrons are choosing to go thru your high impedance meter...a dead giveaway. Clean your connections , even if you call yourself doing it before. These cars are very susceptible to bad connections at the source.
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