1998 Disco w/ 162,000 miles.
I drove all over town earlier today running errands with no symptoms and no warning signs of impending electrical doom. I got in the truck this evening; it started ok but was idling roughly and soon died. When I went to restart it acted as if the battery was dead. The overhead light was dim and lights on the dash were dim. I was in a hurry to meet with some friends so I got out the jump box and hooked it up. Several attempts to start, truck will turn over and fire but quickly dies. I try one last time with the battery box and it finally starts. I hesitantly head off to my meeting. While driving I am getting some popping coming from the rear sub woofer. This is accompanied by the radio display dimming. I also notice that the RPMs are way up. The truck usually idles around 750RPM. Tonight it was idling at about 1200RPM and was surging up to 1500 to 1700 without my foot on the accelerator. Difficult to keep the thing still at signal lights with it revving like this. After the meeting I get in the truck and turn the key and get nothing but a bunch of clicking noises coming from the passenger glove box area. It does start after the jump box is hooked up and runs fine in the way home. I have lights and all the ancillaries seem to be working fine with exception of the radio cutting out.
So, what say you?
Could this be an easy fix like maybe just replacing my eight-plus year old red top Optima? Are these symptoms of a failing alternator? Possibly a bad ground somewhere? Where?
Maybe just get it started one last time and ?accidentally? drive it into a local pond. I have searched for ?electrical problems? using the search feature. I scanned many of 300-plus posts but couldn?t find much with similar issues.
FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTYHING HOLY?
Give me an exploded third member, a broken half shaft, a swivel ball to rebuild, hell even some light body work?. Anything, ANYTHING is better than chasing down electrical problems.
Sorry for rambling post (banging the keys is good therapy). Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.
Thanks,
dd
I drove all over town earlier today running errands with no symptoms and no warning signs of impending electrical doom. I got in the truck this evening; it started ok but was idling roughly and soon died. When I went to restart it acted as if the battery was dead. The overhead light was dim and lights on the dash were dim. I was in a hurry to meet with some friends so I got out the jump box and hooked it up. Several attempts to start, truck will turn over and fire but quickly dies. I try one last time with the battery box and it finally starts. I hesitantly head off to my meeting. While driving I am getting some popping coming from the rear sub woofer. This is accompanied by the radio display dimming. I also notice that the RPMs are way up. The truck usually idles around 750RPM. Tonight it was idling at about 1200RPM and was surging up to 1500 to 1700 without my foot on the accelerator. Difficult to keep the thing still at signal lights with it revving like this. After the meeting I get in the truck and turn the key and get nothing but a bunch of clicking noises coming from the passenger glove box area. It does start after the jump box is hooked up and runs fine in the way home. I have lights and all the ancillaries seem to be working fine with exception of the radio cutting out.
So, what say you?
Could this be an easy fix like maybe just replacing my eight-plus year old red top Optima? Are these symptoms of a failing alternator? Possibly a bad ground somewhere? Where?
Maybe just get it started one last time and ?accidentally? drive it into a local pond. I have searched for ?electrical problems? using the search feature. I scanned many of 300-plus posts but couldn?t find much with similar issues.
FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTYHING HOLY?
Give me an exploded third member, a broken half shaft, a swivel ball to rebuild, hell even some light body work?. Anything, ANYTHING is better than chasing down electrical problems.
Sorry for rambling post (banging the keys is good therapy). Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.
Thanks,
dd
