Strange Occurance, Car just died

[rp23g7]

Really strange issue last night.

The Coronet has been running fine no issues. We went to a club meeting, down the freeway and back 2 miles and some street driving if that matters.

I got off the freeway, and everying that cool.

I was ideling at the light at the freeway exit and the car just quits, dies, lost all power like someone turned a key. I turn the key, after putting it in park, nothing.

Cycle the shifter and try again, it starts, weird.

So going down the street a mile or so, i notice the lights getting dim oh oh. The car dies again, no power to anything, coast to a stop. Push car to side.

So i look under the hood, I touch the BR,, VR, coil, starter relay, bulkhead connector, ALT, Bat cables, they all seem ok.

I looked at the fuses, they were all ok.

Weird, no power to anything at all. All electrical is dead. Then I was stating there pondering, and the wife says "hey, the domelight came on. Try staring the car again, it starts

Drive home, look at everything in the light, everything looks ok.

any one have a idea where to start?

[lisiecki1]

ballast resistor.  my 73 did the same thing to me the night my girlfriend got picked up by the cops in 97....wonderful night.....lol

[b5blue]

Lights dimming....check ignition switch/wiring remove and check bulkhead connections also.   

[rp23g7]

Lights dimming....check ignition switch/wiring remove and check bulkhead connections also.   

I will check the key switch and connector after work, i was thinking ballast or VR too, but you wouldnt lose all power from a bad VR or BR.

[elacruze]

Bulkhead connector. 

[lisiecki1]

Lights dimming....check ignition switch/wiring remove and check bulkhead connections also.   

I will check the key switch and connector after work, i was thinking ballast or VR too, but you wouldnt lose all power from a bad VR or BR.

generally no, you wouldn't think you would....but that night I sure did.  $1.37 for a new ballast resistor the next day and I was back on the road.  Maybe it was a fluke?  I don't know...

[rp23g7]

Lights dimming....check ignition switch/wiring remove and check bulkhead connections also.   

I will check the key switch and connector after work, i was thinking ballast or VR too, but you wouldnt lose all power from a bad VR or BR.

generally no, you wouldn't think you would....but that night I sure did.  $1.37 for a new ballast resistor the next day and I was back on the road.  Maybe it was a fluke?  I don't know...

Strange, i have a spare in my glovebox, maybe it was just one of those days. 

[Brock Samson]

never had a B.R. problem in the Charger but a new one solved a mysterous electrical problem in my first van. try it, it's an easy enough fix.   

[rp23g7]

never had a B.R. problem in the Charger but a new one solved a mysterous electrical problem in my first van. try it, it's an easy enough fix.   

guess i will change it out and see what happens.

[b5blue]

I had a recent intermittent "no start" problem that drove me (no pun intended) frickin nuts! I did voltage checks all over along with wiggle wires, unplug and plug back in, changing ECU's, (3 times!) everything I could think of. I gave up and got a new harness for the engine. I took the old one apart and found "iffy" splices at the junction between where the blue wire is fed to the ECU and coil and a crappy splice just before the same wire went into the bulkhead. I had no problems for 15 years and when I bought the car was told that was the only harness replaced recently. The car ether started and ran fine or it didn't fire up at all. Fed up with any ignition issues I ended up getting all FBO's stuff, and a dist. set up by them and love it. I have no idea why the newest harness on my car had problems but check your switch and engine harness real well, pooping out on you like that stinks I know your pain/frustration!   

[HANDM]

Sounds like it may also be the ammeter, my Challenger did the same thing and after replacing everything electrical, I stumbled upon the fried ammeter after pushin and pulling the wires and watching the power on the voltage meter go on and off

[elanmars]

i'm having a similar issue but it HAS to be the wires, the engine harness can't come soon enough. the car is just driveway decoration at this point.

the worst was leaving me monday, in the middle of nowhere on a busy highway. no cell phone reception for 2 hours. no help. louisiana summer heat. yeah, it sucked.

the first 3 months with this car were sweet, now all these gremlins are popping up, mostly due to a poor restoration years ago by the first owner? not the guy i bought it from.

starter, alternator, voltage regulator, have all been replaced and it still does it. we manage to get it going for a while, a day tops and then it dies. there's lights but won't turn on or crank for anything.