Electrical Ignition fault in my car

[shizzzon 461]

I don't know what the problem is, i'm just thinking it's ignition based.

Bout 45 days ago, i got in my car and noticed the clock was reset.

reset meaning battery disconnected and reconnected... when this happens it will start off at 1:00.

I didn't know why it did that so i forgot about it.

1 Week later, it did it again.. but this time i was in the car when it did it.

It did it WHILE i was starting the car.

Things installed in the car currently-

Viper alarm with immobilizer bypass and remote start.

200A solenoid (ignition turn on wire tapped off of ignition wire from radio).

When it did it when i was in it, i could hear the solenoid in the back rapidly for that 1sec switching on and off...

So i thought the solenoid was the problem..

Long story short, i have disconnected the solenoid and it still happens so solenoid is not the problem...

30days later (it has still been doing this in 1 week intervals.. IT HAS ALSO done it as soon as shut the car off too!)

So now we are up to recently, within the past 5 days-

Now my clock resets almost every 2 days but it's getting slightly worse.

Worse means when my clock resets, now my AC controls and headunit settings are reset also, like a full loss of power in a split second?!?!

3 days ago- i get in the car, the clock is OFF when car is off.. then is rapidly came on and went off again..

I put key in car and turn it to ignition mode only, clock came on and stayed on along with all other electronics?!?!

^^ That has only happened once.

That same day, i started the car up and let it set on idle for bout 20sec...

After that, car just died, no stutter, shake nothing.. just died as if i turned the key off.. Nothing reset, electrical was fine at that time.

I started it up and drove off.

That same night, while i was driving, i got 2 sets of BEEP codes coming from under the dash...

One was beeping 5 times then stopped.

The other was a constant beep for about 3 seconds then stopped...

This beeping is like when the door is open when key is in ignition for example. Something like that.

Now today, i get in it, start it up, as soon as is turned over, it dropped REAL low like it was about to stall out in 1-2seconds then came back up to it's stock idle and ran fine...

wtf is happening here?

I have appointment with shop who installed alarm and remote starter saturday but they say they highly doubt it's their product\install based on what all is happening with the car...

Dealer wants $90\hr to diagnose from scratch...

Give me something to do, ideas, anything because if it keeps getting worse.. it might not start up or might die while i'm driving..

either way.. i need this fixed asap..

My build is halted until this problem is completely resolved.

[Tirefryr 1,742]

Check all connections. It sounds like a loose or corroded battery terminal. Don't get me started on alarm malfunctions either. Of course the shop would say that, but I've seen far too many of them fuck shit up.

[shizzzon 461]

honestly, the current terminals i use sucks ass..

I'm gonna fab up some flat run of aluminum and use that as battery terminals and see if it fixes problem.

For protecting the aluminum against it grounding out, do i just spray paint over the aluminum after all terminals are in place?

[Tirefryr 1,742]

You can do that, but I'd use bedliner or something thicker.

[shizzzon 461]

well.. on my way home from work today, my tire pressure sensor came on for 2 seconds then went right back off..

Nothing else happened, no surge, no other electrical things happened...

AND, when TPS does get triggered.. it never goes off on it's own so i don't know what was up with that...

I took the battery terminals off, cleaned the post off with wire brush, cleaned inside of the terminals and put it back together...

the battery posts have a bright shiny surface to them but also looks like something was attached to them and turned round and round both posts creating grooves all in them.

The brush just made the posts shine more so i did a light brushing on them.

There were no signs of arcing inside the terminals at all, completely clean in there.

[onebadmonte 235]

I'd check main power distribution points, mainly the fuse/relay box. Both under the hood and under the dash. Usually there is a heavy gauge wire that goes from either the battery or the positive side of the starter to the main fuse/relay box. The wire will attach to the underside of the fuse/relay box off of a stud and nut. Double check to make sure it's not loose. Same goes for the fuse box in the vehicle. Good luck. Electrical Gremlins are the worst.

[jj1479 4]

Might be a long shoot but do you think that the plug for one of the computers for the car came lose from all of the bass shaking everything for long periods? Or the main fuse for the car in the fuse box under the hood might of worked lose.

[cobra93 47]

I hope this isn't too vague. I'd bet you've done all the homework you're able to do and are still at a loss.

I will assume that your stereo and car electrical are separate from each other, or at least the problems are isolated to the car only and providing the alarm isn't at fault.

I'd look at the wiring schematics for your scion and see if you are able to trace the systems that are being affected to a possible common point, whether it is a common ground or the eec/pcm.

The clock resetting itself for instance should be completely separate from your stalling issue. It could be a loss in power to the coil or a drop in fuel pressure or even the idle air bypass valve malfunctioning ( I don't know what scion calls this).

Who knows, it could lead back to a bad ground or computer in the kick panel. Too many systems are being effected for it to be multiple problems, IMO.

Intermittent problems are a real bitch to diagnose, unless you find someone else that recognizes ( and has solved) the same problems you're experiencing.

Have you searched for these issues, assuming they're not audio related?

Good luck Shizzzon!

[shizzzon 461]

Of course i must only do one thing at a time...

I have started and shut off the car multiple times and drove it few minutes ago..

No odd problems yet..

autozone couldnt pull any codes off of it if there are any because there tester is damaged, lol.

But.. a guy there did inform me that even though i disconnected the ground off the solenoids to go back and remove all wiring from them..

He thinks it's possible that solenoids could back feed thru the cables (which uses both ignition and constant on) and cause havoc.

So tonight or tomorrow i'm going to remove the entire solenoid system since i will not be using it anymore anyways.

[Angelboy863 21]

Stuff like that used to happen to my car too. Like, the car would have every electronic reset as if the battery was disconnected when it wasnt. My radio was reset and clock was reset. When we brought it to the shop they said it was multiple things.

1) my ignition switch was going bad. (although i didnt replace it and everything still worked, im just saying for reference.)

2) my battery was weak. (i had some walmart battery although, i had aftermarket battery terminals)

3) my wires behind my dash were messed up. i guess it was when i hooked up my new stereo.

4) some fuses under my hood were out. idk about your vehicle but i had a 95 civic and there was a fuse called "back up". that was the main problem.

i fixed 3 of the 4 problems and then everything was fine.

hope this helps!! keep bumpinnnn

[shizzzon 461]

Well, i can tell you the battery, alternator and connection from alt to batt and connection from batt to factory power wire is solid.

I get no drop in voltage measuring all over the terminals or the post on the battery when the terminals are removed.

I've been leaning towards ignition switch too since i do have a remote start if this problem persists...

i havent checked the fuses under the hood but that's easy to do..

Once i remove the solenoids, if it keeps doing it, i'll check those things.

[shizzzon 461]

i just wanted to let you all know that as of last saturday thru tuesday, my car had malfunctioned at least once every day...

I then wire brushed the battery posts and ring terminals.

The ring terminals looked fine before i did it and the battery posts really didnt change appearance after brushing them..

But after plugging everything back up, i havent had a problem within the last three days and i've started\shutdown and drove it a LOT since then without faults!

So.. unless i post back in here about a problem, it appears an invisible layer on the battery posts was the problem.