Electrical problem

JACK DAVIDSON

MEMBER
2001 INFINITI I30
6 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
170,000 MILES

Got gas. Wouldn't start. Got a jump start and all this started. All good before that. All warning lights flashing intermittently: ABS, OD/Off, engine skipping, A/C on then off, lights strobing, needless jumping, transmission jumping.
Quiets down some when turn lights off.
Gets worse when touch brakes.

Jumpers hooked correctly. Jumped right off. Got about 100 yards and all this started. Haven't done anything except check fluids and stuff for a while. Last time did anything was replace fog bulbs two months ago. Had to replace starter (Sears in Savannah did it) in Dec. After-market brand so doesn't engage as effectively but still works. Think I'll go home and disconnect battery for 10-min to reboot ECM? Then start w/ the code reading. Just thought I'd go ahead and check w/ Y'all before I got started as Y'all have been Johnny-on-the-spot last couple of times and might have heard/seen/handled something similar.

3 Replies

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,870 POSTS

Sounds like a low voltage problem. Use an inexpensive digital voltmeter to measure the battery voltage while the engine is running. It must be between 13.75 and 14.75 volts. If it is low, suspect the generator or voltage regulator. If it is normal or a little high, suspect a defective diode in the generator. A load test will identify that. With one bad diode out of the six, the generator will only be able to deliver one third of its rated capacity and the voltage ripple will be very high. That ripple will affect the computers on the car in strange ways.