Random Stalling/Electrical Issue

[sizemic1]

Hi Folks,

Trying to help a friend of mine diagnose a random stalling issue he's having with his 2003 Marauder.

Apparently, it's starting to just randomly stall/lose all power sometimes as he's pulling out of his driveway, sometimes during normal driving. When it does he temporarily loses all power. He's generally able to restart it without any problem, but there's been at least one case, where he had to wait a couple minutes or so before the power came back and he could engage the starter.

Certainly sounds like an electrical issue to me, but just don't know where to start looking. It's not throwing any codes.

Other items for your consideration: Prior to this problem (and i assume is just coincidental) we recently replaced his serpentine belt and idler pulley @107k miles.

Prior to that, he replaced his battery with one of the Sears Platinum batteries.

He had a local mechanic look at it and according to them there's some indication that the positive battery cable is getting hotter than would be expected after running for a while. I don't know how hot is too hot or what could cause the problem. Seems to me that if the alternator was or is going bad, it might cause some problems. Assuming the car is running, couldn't the car continue to run off the battery for a while if the alternator stopped providing charge altogether?

He's done some preliminary "jiggle the battery cables while the car is running test" to see if he could duplicate the problem in the driveway, but no luck so far. We're going to look into cleaning and perhaps replacing the battery cables next weekend. However, everything was cleaned up when the battery was replaced, so i kind of doubt they're the problem.

Any pointers would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[jwibbity]

i having this same problem, mine is more random and only happens right after i start up and take off 10-15 mph, PLEASE HELP!!!!!

[Spectragod]

Check the harness behind the drivers side head for chafing on the bracket that holds the wiper box in place.

[Blackened300a]

Also check your grounds going to the starter. A hot positive cable usually indicates a short or a bad ground.

[sizemic1]

Thanks for the input!
I'll follow up with you all this weekend and let you know what we found.

[fastblackmerc]

Check the harness behind the drivers side head for chafing on the bracket that holds the wiper box in place.


Also check your grounds going to the starter. A hot positive cable usually indicates a short or a bad ground.

If it's not electrical try cleaning the MAF, throttle body and IAC.

[stevengerard]

mine does the same thing, rarely but occasionally - sometimes on the highway sometimes around town, maybe 1 every other month.

[capt512]

Check your nut on the distribution box too, the main red power cable that is bolted onto the side of the box. I had an 01 CV that had a very similar problem for a while. While the nut was tight it was rusted so I had to remove it, replace it (really rusty) and then everything worked great. While driving it would give me no notice and just middle of the road the car would completly turn off, sometimes I could luck out and restart it, but usually not. Sometimes lettting it sit would allow it to restart. But ultimately the connection was just bad there.

[Green96]

Mine was doing this, it was IAC for me. I got a Duralast at Autozone for $58, good price but it acted weird for a few starts. It would make sounds like it was fluttering. A couple starts and a WOT and it just went away. I did not think that it needed to re-learn an IAC, but maybe it did.


i having this same problem, mine is more random and only happens right after i start up and take off 10-15 mph, PLEASE HELP!!!!!

[jwibbity]

whats an IAC??? the only IAC i kno is in an F/A18, and thats the intercommunication amplifier control........

[SpartaPerformance]

IAC in automotive application is Idle Air Control.

I also agree there is a bad connection in the power distribution of the vehicle.

[CBT]

whats an IAC??? the only IAC i kno is in an F/A18, and thats the intercommunication amplifier control........

Follow the arrow. This is DOOM's, so look for something like this on your engine, but with much less chrome.

26566

[MarcPro]

W all my elec. problems...I could be dealing w/ the same thing here...

[xopher]

Checking in with stalling problems. Also having headlights flash off and instantly turn on again (already fixed my LCM so it shouldn't be that). Did plugs and MAF. Going to check what Blackened300a, Spectragod and fastblackmerc suggested above. Really hoping this is a cheap fix and isn't coils :O

[Paul T. Casey]

While you're all at it, check the negative ground.

[fairlane347]

i had a random stalling issue too. My alternator pulley was squelling so I bought a new Ford alternator. Since then my car has not stalled like that. I can't confirm 100% that was the fix but that is the only change I made and not problems since. Hope that helps!!

[-Matt-]

Check this too:

http://mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=70902

Sounds like the same issue i was having

[ctrlraven]

Mine used to stall when doing a quick and sharp U-turn, raised the idle in drive RPMS, problem solved. Now every time I go to one certain auto car was, it stalls out just trying to get out over the wheel chuck where you're suppose to stop your car out when you pull up.

Check the slack on the s-belt as well, if there is any play beyond reason the belt can skip off the alternator for a brief instant and stall the car.

[sizemic1]

Just wanted to give you all an update.
Got the stalling situation figured out. Due to corrosion, the repair monkey at Sears cut the battery ends of the positive battery cable and use some sort of end repair kit to replace them when the battery was replaced. Turns out the connection on one of the cables that goes to the fuse box was terrible. It was clearly arcing within the splice connector which was obviously meant for a larger gauge cable than what Ford uses. That explains the random stalling and the heated up cable. Got that situation all ironed out.

Also, thanks to EATC sticky, we took care of that problem too :)

Thanks for everyone's help!

[marauder410]

my car was doing this and they said it was the chip in the key and my aftermarket alarm had a short in it it was stalling while going down highway and would start couple tiems them finally one day stalled and ever started back up make a new key and took aftermarket alarm off and fixed the problem mine was a elertical problem

[xopher]

I must have made the god Mercury angry, because my electrical issues are multiplying. My headlights still flicker, and just today my headlights decided they will not turn off, and my interior illumination lights won't turn on, and when I double-tap my keyfob, my doors lock but the horn doesn't honk.

When I pull fuse 113 in the Power Distribution Box, the headlights finally turn off.

And while all of this is happening, I need to keep tapping the blower control module to keep the heat coming in the cabin. Time to disconnect the battery and park it for the winter and work on it when the temperature is back above 40F.

If anyone knows what would cause my headlights to stay on while my interior and dash lights stay off, I'm all ears.

[RF Overlord]

the repair monkey at Sears Lesson learned: You buy washing machines at Sears. You NEVER get your car worked on there.

Glad it was something relatively minor. :)

[RF Overlord]

If anyone knows what would cause my headlights to stay on while my interior and dash lights stay off, I'm all ears.From your description of all the problems with lights, it sounds like an issue with the LCM. Just because you have the heavy-duty relay mod doesn't mean there can't be some other malfunction.

[jwibbity]

well it happened again to me today in the middle of the Walmart parking lot!!!! I was cruising at about 5-10mph, and it just cut off, battery light came on. i shifted into park, cranked it back up and parked. I cant find the issue!!!!! HELP ME!!!!

[xopher]

From your description of all the problems with lights, it sounds like an issue with the LCM. Just because you have the heavy-duty relay mod doesn't mean there can't be some other malfunction.
True, I'll keep that in mind.


well it happened again to me today in the middle of the Walmart parking lot!!!! I was cruising at about 5-10mph, and it just cut off, battery light came on. i shifted into park, cranked it back up and parked. I cant find the issue!!!!! HELP ME!!!!
I just stored mine last night and when I went to disconnect the battery terminal, which I had ignored largely while focusing on the other components, it was fairly well caked with corrosion. How do your battery leads look?

[capt512]

Did you check the nut connecting power to the distribution box? Have you checked all the fuses under the dash as well to make sure they are all tight. I have had both of these cause the same problem you are having.

[jwibbity]

well the nut to the distibution block looked a little corroded but not too bad, the ground was find so i didnt bother taking a picture, took off battery terminals, wire brushed battery leads and terminals and reconnected, another thing my battery seems a little small, it just moves around in there all loose like, could that do anything

[fastblackmerc]

well the nut to the distibution block looked a little corroded but not too bad, the ground was find so i didnt bother taking a picture, took off battery terminals, wire brushed battery leads and terminals and reconnected, another thing my battery seems a little small, it just moves around in there all loose like, could that do anything

That battery looks way to small for a Marauder. :shake: