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#1
Anyone want to take a stab at this?
SE Level Member
08-07-2020
So I'm at work today and I get a message that the car battery is messed up.
I ask how does a car battery get messed up? He says it felt like the battery was shaking and the battery light was blinking on and off. I should tell him to lay off the drugs but he doesn't do drugs. Smart kid but sometimes I have to shake my head.
Who wants to guess what the actual problem is? I won't get to look at it myself until I get home tonight.
This is for the 05 GP.
'97 Grand Prix GT Coupe
'05 Grand Prix GTP Sport Red Metalic SOLD
'05 Grand Prix GTP Silver
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#2
Re: Anyone want to take a stab at this?
SE Level Member
08-07-2020
A blinking light? That's a new one, I've never had that happen before. One of my other cars (not a GP) will sometimes have the light come on when I start it. But when I get home, I shut it off and get the test tools and start it again and it's fine. 
If the light is blinking I can think of a couple scenarios:
1. Loose wires at the battery. Does it happen when accelerating/decelerating?
2. One of the cells in the battery is toast, and voltage dropped enough that the ECU is affected (hence the car shaking).
3. Alternator is not charging properly or only part of the time and the battery has finally discharged enough to start affecting the electronics. I've had a regulator work at idle but when revving voltage would drop, make sure you check idle voltage and also when revving up to 2000 RPM or so.
4. Some other loose wiring somewhere, you don't want this one cause it'll be a real pain in the arse to find.
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#3
Re: Anyone want to take a stab at this?
SE Level Member
08-07-2020
Another thing that just popped into my head is to check the connections at the alternator. I can't figure out how to edit my other post... can that even be done?
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#4
Re: Anyone want to take a stab at this?
SE Level Member
08-07-2020

Originally Posted by
danf
I can't figure out how to edit my other post... can that even be done?
I asked one of the admins about this shortly after joining, the gist of the answer was that, IIRC, the edit and delete functions have been disabled (at least for newer folks) because it breaks somethign with vbulletin. the specifics may not be 100%, but the meat of it is that I would not count on being able to, and if you want something deleted, just report it and specify why you want it deleted.
**I know this is not relative to OP's issue, but that seems to be pretty well answered already**
99 GTP:
ZZP FWI , ZZP 3" catted DP, Resonator delete,The occasional Poly bushing, ZZP front sway Bar, NGK TR6's, LED Headlights, 180* TStat, Anti- pogo washers ...This list seemed a lot longer before I started typing....
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#5
Re: Anyone want to take a stab at this?
SE Level Member
08-07-2020
Quick update. In all fairness I received my message earlier today from my wife and some of it was lost in translation. My kid actually described the problem correctly. The flashing light was the cel not the battery. So upon hooking up my scanner it is a misfire in cylinder 5. I kept old parts over the years so I swapped the plug first. That didn’t help then the rain started so I’m on hold for now.
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#6
Re: Anyone want to take a stab at this?
08-07-2020
Good chance it's the wire or coil pack. Swap #2 and #5 at the coil pack and see if the misfires move to #2. If so.. coil pack. If not, move the wire off the metal piece it's arcing on. Or put some electrical tape over the spot that you see where it was arcing.
Another cool thing you can do to look for arcing wires is wait til dusk and fire it up.. use a spray bottle to mist the engine. Follow the light show!
I drink..so consider that when reading my posts.
2010 Audi A6 Dual IC's
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#7
Re: Anyone want to take a stab at this?
SE Level Member
08-07-2020
I don't recall....did you say if your scanner has data log capability? Be helpful to pinpoint the source of the misfire, as in looking at fuel injector voltage, etc. At least it's only one cyl, and not 4 like I'm currently experiencing.
99 GTP:
ZZP FWI , ZZP 3" catted DP, Resonator delete,The occasional Poly bushing, ZZP front sway Bar, NGK TR6's, LED Headlights, 180* TStat, Anti- pogo washers ...This list seemed a lot longer before I started typing....
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#8
Re: Anyone want to take a stab at this?
SE Level Member
08-07-2020
It’s not that kind of scanner. It just reads codes and live data but I don’t think it reads voltages for injectors. It will show fuel trims.
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#9
Re: Anyone want to take a stab at this?
SE Level Member
08-07-2020
A month or so ago I had a misfire specific to one cylinder, but it never even threw a code, I just saw it through my scanner. Finally it threw the code, and I was able to pinpoint it to the injector by the voltage not being in line with the other five. Regrettably my current issues are proving to be a little more involved.
99 GTP:
ZZP FWI , ZZP 3" catted DP, Resonator delete,The occasional Poly bushing, ZZP front sway Bar, NGK TR6's, LED Headlights, 180* TStat, Anti- pogo washers ...This list seemed a lot longer before I started typing....
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#10
Re: Anyone want to take a stab at this?
SE Level Member
08-08-2020
OK final update. I switched out the wire and there was no change. Swapped out a coil pack with a good one I had laying around and bingo. It purrs like a kitten. I tested the coil pack and the one cylinder two tested at 13 arms. Cylinder five tested at 4.5 ohms.
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#11
Re: Anyone want to take a stab at this?
08-10-2020
Gotta hate the easy fixes.
I drink..so consider that when reading my posts.
2010 Audi A6 Dual IC's