Suspected electrical problem causing engine stall

**Wikid NaSSty** · 10-15-2008, 04:31 PM

After sitting for a week in the rain, I started the car in the driveway to keep the battery fresh. After it warmed up it stalled. It started right up when I went back out but the idle was a little rough and I could hear a steady ticking noise through the speakers. The lights would also dim with each ticking noise. After 10-20 seconds of this the car abruptly stalled once again.

Figuring something got wet, I took it out for a cruise hoping to make the problem go away. The car runs perfect anywhere above idle but as soon as I stop (in gear or in neutral) it idles roughly with the ticking noise through the speakers and dies shortly thereafter. The car always starts right back up with no problem and it does not seem to do this until it is warmed up.

The battery connections/wires look fine to me and I am not throwing any codes.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

**Orcus79** · 10-15-2008, 04:40 PM

Sounds like a weak ground some where. Usually thats what causes the noise though the speakers. Other then that there really isn't much more to suggest.

**Wikid NaSSty** · 10-15-2008, 05:01 PM

Yea thats about all I could think of at this point. It just seems unlikely to me since the problem started happening while the car sat in my driveway. I will probably re-do my battery grounds first.

Anyone think this could be a spark plug wire / coil pack problem? It crossed my mind but I figured I would have gotten a misfire code or something like that.

**0rion** · 10-15-2008, 05:06 PM

It definitely wouldn't hurt to check those wires. Is it an audible tick under the hood or are you hearing the tick through the speakers? Check your cables really well to make sure none are corroded also.

**Wikid NaSSty** · 10-15-2008, 07:06 PM

I can hear it through all of the speakers in the car. When I hear each tick I can feel the engine kick a little. I think I can hear it under the hood as well but the car would stall on me before I could pin point the location of the sound. Hopefully somebody will be around tomorrow to help me keep the car running while I take a closer look under the hood.

**0rion** · 10-15-2008, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by Wikid NaSSty

I can hear it through all of the speakers in the car. When I hear each tick I can feel the engine kick a little. I think I can hear it under the hood as well but the car would stall on me before I could pin point the location of the sound. Hopefully somebody will be around tomorrow to help me keep the car running while I take a closer look under the hood.

that really sounds to me like a wire issue......I've been wrong before but I'd check those wires real good. How many miles are on the wires?