Strange car problem. Electrical?

[ryskey]

'96 Chevy 1500 2wd 350 automatic

This problem has been getting progressively worse. It started with my CD player turning off and then on while I'm driving. Then it started dying in gear, usually just after starting it up in the morning. Just an hour ago it died in gear going 50mph on I35. I cycled the ignition a few times, and the engine started just fine. Then when I put it in gear, it died. I finally put the thing in 1st gear and powerbraked all the way home so the engine wouldn't get below 2000 rpm. That worked.

First I did the obvious: get new battery terminals and clean the connections. Still dying.

Next I checked for current on the starter relay. I'm pretty sure all electrical power has to go through that first, correct? There's fire there.

After that, I'm clueless. It appears to an electrical load problem given that it died after I put it in gear.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[accuratehorn]

Your battery could be failing-when several electrical problems arise, battery is always a possibility. If it is 4 years old or so, might just go ahead and get a new one.
Could be the electrical part of the ignition switch-try slightly wiggling the switch with the key-does it die on you? Replace switch.
Loose ground cable, or main positive cable down to the starter loose? That's all I can think of right off.

 

[ryskey]

Battery is about 2 years old. I'll take it in so someone can put a load on it.

Good suggestion on the battery to starter cable. Didn't think of that.

I'll also check the ground and the ignition switch.

Thanks.

 

[accuratehorn]

Sometimes the main cables are slightly loose, and the current arcs and turns the end green or black, so you have a bad connection there. We have removed and sanded the connections or replaced the cables if badly corroded in these cases. A two year old battery should be good, but anything can fail.

 

[ryskey]

I think it's fixed now. When I was checking the cable to the starter, I noticed it was tight. But I DID notice a bunch of green fuzzies all over the place. Corrosion everywhere- Looked like a damn mold colony. Took me a while to clean that up, but I'm pretty sure that did it.

Again, thanks for the help. I don't know how long I would have been fretting over my truck until I thought of the starter connection.