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Instruments started flickering when driving

cbbepop

By cbbepop
in 986 Series (Boxster, Boxster S)

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cbbepop Member

cbbepop

Posted
Posted

Hi

I was on the road today, 2001 Boxster S automatic (60XXXmiles) when all of a sudden I got a CEL, then every other warning light started flicking on. Then the AC and radio went on and off. The Instrument gauge was next to start flickering too and I noticed the trip odometer reset to O. RPM stayed stable (no spikes or rough idling). I was stopped at a red light so I decided (in all my brilliance) to shut the engine off and restart it to see what would happen. <--- BIg mistake. Car would not restart...*click click click* and instrumet panel would flutter to life then shut down like the battery is dead or something.

I had the car towed. Also did I mention I was stopped at a red light when my car will not restart. Needless to say when the light turned green I had plenty of ppl give me the finger on their way around me despite I had my hazards on immedietly.

What does everyone think happened? I had a new battery put in last year. I'm thinking...the alternator? maybe starter? Maybe even sparkplugs since I never changed them at the 60000 mile maintance.

Any and all help is appreciated.

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txhokie4life Member

txhokie4life

Posted
Posted

Battery most likely

Power connection loose at engine?

Possibly alternator short?

Mike

Hi

I was on the road today, 2001 Boxster S automatic (60XXXmiles) when all of a sudden I got a CEL, then every other warning light started flicking on. Then the AC and radio went on and off. The Instrument gauge was next to start flickering too and I noticed the trip odometer reset to O. RPM stayed stable (no spikes or rough idling). I was stopped at a red light so I decided (in all my brilliance) to shut the engine off and restart it to see what would happen. <--- BIg mistake. Car would not restart...*click click click* and instrumet panel would flutter to life then shut down like the battery is dead or something.

I had the car towed. Also did I mention I was stopped at a red light when my car will not restart. Needless to say when the light turned green I had plenty of ppl give me the finger on their way around me despite I had my hazards on immedietly.

What does everyone think happened? I had a new battery put in last year. I'm thinking...the alternator? maybe starter? Maybe even sparkplugs since I never changed them at the 60000 mile maintance.

Any and all help is appreciated.

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1schoir Member

1schoir

Posted
Posted

Hi

I was on the road today, 2001 Boxster S automatic (60XXXmiles) when all of a sudden I got a CEL, then every other warning light started flicking on. Then the AC and radio went on and off. The Instrument gauge was next to start flickering too and I noticed the trip odometer reset to O. RPM stayed stable (no spikes or rough idling). I was stopped at a red light so I decided (in all my brilliance) to shut the engine off and restart it to see what would happen. <--- BIg mistake. Car would not restart...*click click click* and instrumet panel would flutter to life then shut down like the battery is dead or something.

I had the car towed. Also did I mention I was stopped at a red light when my car will not restart. Needless to say when the light turned green I had plenty of ppl give me the finger on their way around me despite I had my hazards on immedietly.

What does everyone think happened? I had a new battery put in last year. I'm thinking...the alternator? maybe starter? Maybe even sparkplugs since I never changed them at the 60000 mile maintance.

Any and all help is appreciated.

If it was only the alternator, you probably would have only gotten the "battery" icon to light up by itself at first.

A more likely cause of the symptoms you describe is the ignition switch, and more specifically the electrical portion of the ignition switch. A common fault in recent vintage Porsches.

Do a search here and you will see lots of similar issues caused by a faulty ignition switch.

The "tick-tick-tick", indicating an almost dead battery is a little puzzling, unless there was a bad connection.

Regards, Maurice.

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cbbepop Member

cbbepop

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hi

I was on the road today, 2001 Boxster S automatic (60XXXmiles) when all of a sudden I got a CEL, then every other warning light started flicking on. Then the AC and radio went on and off. The Instrument gauge was next to start flickering too and I noticed the trip odometer reset to O. RPM stayed stable (no spikes or rough idling). I was stopped at a red light so I decided (in all my brilliance) to shut the engine off and restart it to see what would happen. <--- BIg mistake. Car would not restart...*click click click* and instrumet panel would flutter to life then shut down like the battery is dead or something.

I had the car towed. Also did I mention I was stopped at a red light when my car will not restart. Needless to say when the light turned green I had plenty of ppl give me the finger on their way around me despite I had my hazards on immedietly.

What does everyone think happened? I had a new battery put in last year. I'm thinking...the alternator? maybe starter? Maybe even sparkplugs since I never changed them at the 60000 mile maintance.

Any and all help is appreciated.

If it was only the alternator, you probably would have only gotten the "battery" icon to light up by itself at first.

A more likely cause of the symptoms you describe is the ignition switch, and more specifically the electrical portion of the ignition switch. A common fault in recent vintage Porsches.

Do a search here and you will see lots of similar issues caused by a faulty ignition switch.

The "tick-tick-tick", indicating an almost dead battery is a little puzzling, unless there was a bad connection.

Regards, Maurice.

Thanks for the responses.

Is the top portion of the ignition swith the electrical part or the mechanical part?

Cause I had a sticky ignition and the dealership changed out the top part last year (not the whole revised one piece stalk, just the top)

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pk2 Member

pk2

Posted
Posted

I second Loren and txholkie4lifr, Bad electrical connection. I'd start at the batterry although I've run my car with the ground strap completely off and don't recall the any thing going batty. Your click click is clasic low battery or bad ground (ground on battery is very susceptible to corrosion) but really shouldn't freak your dash out. Lorens theory might explain that better, it could also be down stream at a solenoid too.

Regards, PK

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txhokie4life Member

txhokie4life

Posted
Posted

I second Loren and txholkie4lifr, Bad electrical connection. I'd start at the batterry although I've run my car with the ground strap completely off and don't recall the any thing going batty. Your click click is clasic low battery or bad ground (ground on battery is very susceptible to corrosion) but really shouldn't freak your dash out. Lorens theory might explain that better, it could also be down stream at a solenoid too.

Regards, PK

Just a follow-up.

I once forgot to tighten the power connector that comes from the front of the car to the top of the engine.

It worked fine most of the time, but every now and then it would not start -- click click click. You could jump it and get

it to run.

But since the connection back and forth to the battery was weak -- you would not get a good charge either way

so the battery would run down -- and then it couldn't arc enough to start the car -- etc. And yes it was ARCing --- yikes!

If you had any service work in/around the engine -- that is a possibility. Sits on the front middle (slightly driver side) top of the engine.

10mm if I remember correctly.

It's now on my ever growing check off list.

Mike

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cbbepop Member

cbbepop

Posted
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Posted

The electrical part is on the back side of the ignition switch.

So it wouldn't be part of what they replaced at the dealership?

I found the part on Suncoast, this is what they replaced: http://www.suncoastparts.com/product/AUDI4A0905849B.html?Category_Code=986Keys

I'll go reinstall a new battery and see if that does the trick. Mechanic is still working on pulling the codes for the CEL

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cbbepop Member

cbbepop

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Posted (edited)

*update*

The mechanic just called and said it was the charging system and he charged the battery. I have to have him explain it better to me in person.

Edit* said the CEL was a P0562

hmmm

So about the bad connection, could the battery have a bad connection to the alternator?

Edited by cbbepop
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