Saturn :: 1999 SL - Electrical Sometimes Flickers While Driving
Jan 27, 2013
A few weeks ago my '99 Saturn SL (120k miles) started rarely losing electrical in little bursts. Gauges zero, car beeps, but everything is normal. This would happen maybe once every few days during my ~30 minute commute. Last night I was picking up dinner and when I returned to the car it had no juice and wouldn't start (not even the dome light would come on). So I found somebody to give me a jump and when I returned the car started up without jumping and without me having done anything in the interim. So today I check the battery (which is maybe ~3 years old) terminals and everything is tight and corrosive free. What can I do?
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I have a 1999 Saturn SL1 with a transmission issue. After driving in stop an go traffic and the trans warms up, it doesn't want to change gears from second to third. I can remedy this if i put the car in neutral, turn it off and back on will continue to run for a bit longer. The longer I'm in stop and go traffic, the more frequent I have to do this. On the highway this is a different story and I can stay in the last gear and drive forever! Also after being in traffic for so long, if I put the car into reverse, I have to lightly feather the gas until it slowly goes into gear.
The last issue which I think might be related is that the idle will sometimes stay extremely high if I put my car into neutral at red lights, which I do often to avoid have to turn the car off and on again to reset the transmission.
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So the other day i was driving down the road, pulled into the gas station and the car shut off and the dash began flickering rapidly.
I popped the hood and the thing that controls the air fuel mixture- when you step on the peddle it moves(sorry cant think right now lol) well it is moving slightly back and forth rapidly also.
I popped the panel under the steering wheel off because i heard a flickering noise coming from it when the key was turned and it was coming from the fuel pump relay.
My question is- is the fuel pump relay something that would just fail and cause the car to shut off. or is it making the clicking noise an indicator that there is a problem somewhere. I looked up the part and it is only 40 bucks, but I am low on money and cant afford to be fishing around ordering parts trying to diagnose the problem.
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I had a mechanic do a diagnostic on the battery, alternator, etc. on Monday and he couldn't find a thing wrong. I drove it home without a worry. Last nite, it wouldn't start. It reminded me of what used to be called (or still is called?) "flooded." My '95 Saturn SL2 cranked but never kicked in and/or turned over to start. This morning, however, it turned over right away, albeit very sluggishly. What's wrong? Bad gasoline?
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I have 2006 Mercery Mariner and the dome lights come on while im driving, they will stay on for about 10 mins or longer. sometimes they will come on when i hit a bump in the road. They also flicker on and off, even when i hit the brakes. took it to a shop and they replaced the hatch switch and they checked all the other door switches but stiil didn't find the problem.
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I was driving home last night on the freeway going about 80 and i noticed my 4x4 light was flickering on and off really sporadically. acting like there was a short or something.... What would cause this or where to start.
I have used the 4x4 recently, actually Saturday night and it worked fine. light worked fine, everything was OK at that point.
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I have an odd issue, 2003 7.3L f250 ... My battery light flickers on and off, I had the alternator tested at a alt rebuild sale place here locally, I don't always trust the auto zone techs, also had the batteries tested at interstate batteries. both batteries good, alternator good.
I think my connector is bad on my alt, not the one that goes to the battery, output is 13.8 to 14.1 btw......there is another connector that is a PITA to get off. I think it is bad, I played with it and applied some dielectric grease had the light go out when I wiggled it.
Can just the connector be replaced?
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2004 F250 v10 xtl 260xxx. Started off by using my remote start, truck started up ran for about 5 sec then shut off, then restart itself and shut back off. When I manually started it, it ran fine. I noticed my battery light was on and as I was driving it would flicker. First thing I did when I got home was clean all my connections to see if that worked. Battery light still on, checked my volts on my battery and they were at about 11.8 with a slow but steady drop while truck was idling.then checked my alt, that too was at about 11.9 with a stead drop.
Alt was only about 7 months old and I had a warranty on it so I had it replaced at Napa and had them test it there. Good alt. Installed the new alt charged up my battery and turned it over. Battery light still on and flickering. Checked all my wires for corrosion, checked all my grounds. Everything checked out. Checked my battery again 12.4 with the truck off, cranked it over and it was back at 11.9 with a steady drop and almost the same reading with the alt. I replaced the battery as well yesterday, seeing how it was about 7 years old.
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I have a 99 f350 7.3l 4x4 and my battery light flickers randomly. I have checked the alternator and both battery's. All brand new and seems to be ok. They only are getting a charge when the battery light is flickering. I put both new batteries in on Thursday and on Sunday I needed a jump at the store.
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My 1999 Ford Ranger XLT, 6 cylinder, auto trans, with 134K miles has an electric problem. When I turn the key to the 'on' position, all dash lights show normal, headlights work, radio plays, etc. But when I turn the key to the 'start' position, all electric power is lost. The power remains lost until I disconnect and reconnect the battery ground wire. After reconnecting, I again have power until the key is turned to the 'start' position. I was able to jump start the truck, so I assumed I needed a new battery. I bought one a week ago, and was back to normal until today. The truck started, I drove 4 miles to the grocery store, and then I found myself back to square 1 (i.e., the no-start situation).
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The battery light blinks in my truck. It's not a controlled blink, but it flickers like a loose bulb. It started a week or so ago. It would blip every once in a while. Gradually it would start to flicker more often. At first I thought it was belt-related but it isn't related to the transmission shifting at all. So if you're thinking that it's belt-related, you're going to have to explain why it doesn't blink either right before or right after a transmission shift (i.e. a rapid change in engine speed).
Earlier in the week, the light was flickering so hard that it was virtually on. I drove home last night and didn't see it once, although that's the first time I haven't seen it happen at all in a week. The battery gauge itself doesn't move a bit while this is happening. I have a cigarette lighter voltmeter and it shows a pretty steady 14.1 volts regardless of whether the light is flickering or not.
I had the batteries tested in my truck by a real battery shop about 4 months ago and they are fine. The battery connections all seem tight and clean, and the belt, tensioner and all that seems fine. So..What can cause a battery light to come on that isn't voltage related?
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for some reason my battery light flickers when im driving regular and on the highway. I have had both batteries checked and they were at 50 percent charge and both were good so therefore I assumed it was my alternator. I removed alternator had it check and it passed all test. Everything was checked at o'reilly and autozone
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I've been having issues with the charging system on my 2005. The battery was 7 years old, so I replaced it. Now, the battery light comes on dimly (and flickers) when at low RPM. I am thinking alternator. I replaced one on my 2002 F150, but haven't done a 250. How hard are they to get to and replace? This is on a 5.4 gasser.....
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My 2003 Saturn Vue V-6 AWD headlights dim while driving. They don't entirely go out, but at the very least it is distracting. It happens on both hi and low beam. The battery indicator light also pops on briefly, and generally unpredictably. The only indicator of the battery light turning on is it seems to happen more often when I come to a stop, when the fan turns on. And possibly more often while using the AC. The headlights always dim, nothing seems to make this happen more or less.
This vehicle has a new alternator. Actually, it is on its second new alternator. The first was installed in November 2014. It was overcharging and I was getting all kinds of funny lights on, before replacing it February 2015. I've had the current problems since this time. My mechanic has tested the alternator, starter, battery, and connections. Has also checked all the grounds. Apparently, my vehicle is 100%?
While the dimming lights don't really bother me, I have a teenager who wants to inherit this vehicle. I would like to resolve this before passing it on.
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I bought a 2007 Saturn ION Coupe the end of December 2006. I have had the car 4 mos and keep experiencing a wobbling when driving between 4-10 mph (traffic). They have balanced and aligned my car 4 times since I bought the car, once a month (it needs service every month I commute 1,000 mile a week). It seems to work for a short while and then the problem continues. They have checked everything, rotors, wheels, tires, etc.
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I have read the many blogs..streams..and complaints about the same "power steering" failure I experience every time I drive my junk ION. I have also read there is repair compensation via GM for models less than 10 years old and less than 100,000 miles. My question is, is there any cost relief if it has over 100,000 miles? Mine had close to it when I bought it and it didn't start until after it had gone over 100,000. Between the ignition passlock problem when it's cold and the power steering failure when it's hot... I will NEVER EVER buy anything Saturn or GM again.
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I have a 2000 Saturn SL1 that died while driving. The battery was tested ok! When you turn the key all the lights come on. Turn it to start and all the lights go out except the SES and security lights. I have tried a method of resetting the security system by turning the key on then briefly to start. Letting it set and repete about 3 times or so. But it does nothing for the present issue.
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So, I'm driving my 2003 Saturn LW 300 wagon (3.0 liter, V-6 engine) the other day, and the engine shuts off out of nowhere. Luckily, I was on a quiet secondary road, so I drifted to a curb in neutral. Then my car wouldn't start. Eventually, my car started. I drove for another five minutes, and the engine shut off again--without coming back on--while I was driving.
This time I couldn't get the car started again. I had it towed into a shop. Of course, the car starts up, no problem, in the garage. But while it's running for 20 minutes, the engine cuts off once again. They started it back up again, and it ran without stop for 40 minutes. The mechanics can't figure out the problem, and I don't feel real good about taking this car back on the road, especially since I do a lot of highway driving.
What's going on here? (A friend's father had a similar problem with his truck; after taking it to four different shops, one of them finally determine the problem--the fuel pump's electrical harness. Is it possible I'm having the same problem?)
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I hear strange sound of rubbing/howling at the front while driving. The frequency increases with the speed.I also feel little pulsation in the gas pedal. The sound goes off when the car stops rolling. The sound also get less or almost goes away when I turn steering a little bit left while driving.
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The issue began around July/August of this year. It sounds as if the car locks are attempting to lock and unlock while I am driving. It is a clicking sound. The doors will automatically lock when the car is going at 10 mph - this is normal. The locking/unlocking sound sometimes will start within 5 minutes and other times within 30 minutes - it is totally random. This does not happen every day but it is definitely monthly and has lasted anywhere from 3 days to 10 days. The other noise associated with it comes from the console on the passenger side. It is a clicking sound. This sound happens during the locking/unlocking sound but on intermittent cycles. The doors never become unlocked while I am driving. I purchased the car new.
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Recently my wife took her car to work. While driving on the highway the car all of a sudden quit responding to pushing on the gas. As if the pedal had no affect at all. The electrical was still in tact as my wife pulled off to the side of the road and turned the car off. Before I could reach her to pick her up she had started it again and it started right up no hesitation at all. Upon dropping her off at work I came back and it started right away and I drove it to her work and she then drove it home at the end of the day with not problems. It sat in our garage for a few days and I decided to take it out to see what happens for myself. I drove it for a full day stated right up every time and it wasn't until the second day I drove it around that it did the same thing to me. Gas pedal had not response. All electrical seemed operational, still had power steering and the dash was lit. I pulled over then waited a few minutes and it fired right up and I was on my way. Wondered if its the fuel pump and how I could test that out. As I said is starts right up every time with no hesitation. Also I have fuel pressure tested it and it shows a 60 the during idle.
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