Strange Electrical Problem 2004 tib V6

[NameLess]

My Tibs got a strange electrical problem were randomly all the in-cabin electrics suddenly turn off and then come back on (radio, windows, clock etc).
Also the headlights dim. The engine doesn't stop tho & it doesnt have any trouble starting.

When I first noticed it, it was doing it maybe 12 times a week now its 12 times a day.

And you can see on the volt meter it goes from 14 and suddenly drops to 12-13 even lower sometimes.

I thought it was the battery so I took it to get replaced (not at Hyundai) & they tested it with a multimeter & they said the battery was fine but the altenator wasn't charging it, so I took it to Hyundai and ...Suprise suprise... they said they couldn't fault it. Its been about 3 months since and it is getting noticeably worse.

The car is standard except for a stereo which I had for 18 months before it started stuffing up.

anyone have any ideas or ammunition I can use when I take it back to Hyundai?

Also what volt battery is the tib supposed to have?

I have a video of it stuffing up If someone can tell me how to post it up.

[rocconi]

Check the ground wire from the battery to the chassis. If all circuits in in the car dim at the same time I would suspect one single connection like that. A car battery should be between 12 and 13 volts when the engine is stopped and nothing is on. It should be about 13.5 volts when the alternator is charging it.

[NameLess]

I checked the Neg terminal from the battery to the chassis and it seemed fine (tight, no rust etc).

But got a new problem now...

parked my car yesterday, went to lock it with the remote and nothing happened, got back in the car and tried to start it and the whole car was dead. No lights, no radio nothing and the starter motor didnt even kick. So I thought the alternator had packed up went to call a tow truck came back 10-15 min later tried to start the car and started fine.

And it did the same thing when I got to work this morning. Left it for a couple of minutes then it started.

Taking it back to Hyundai in the morning... i'll see what happens.

[97redtib]

I had a similar problem recently with my 97 tib, and it honestly sounds like you should replace the alternator, obviously since you already know its not keeping the charge and I would also check your alternator fuse! It sounds like based on the problems your experiencing (not starting, loss of power, etc.) you should check your alternator fuse and see if its bolted down completely!! Mine was having the same issues (I replaced the alternator cuz it was bad anyways) but my fuse was not being held in by the bolt all the way so it kept losing the connection!

[jkrswld]

Double check the grounds and the positive cable from the battery to the alternator. Make sure to take both terminals off the battery and clean them up so they're nice and shiny.

Next, get that alternator tested free at an Autozone or something. Then double check your fuses.

The only other thing that could make sense would be if your ignition switch is shot - the part where your key goes in... If that is all screwy your car will "randomly" not "see" that the key is in it - and as such will kill all electronics.

If you ever go to start it and you don't so much as hear a click or any lights come on - that means either the battery is 100% dead, the cabling/grounding is poor, or that ignition switch is screwed up...

[NameLess]

Its at Hyundai right now so I'll see what they say.

I checked the connections on the battery last night and they seemed fine.

It seems to me the alternator isnt delivering stable voltage to the car. I checked the battery and it was bang on 12 volts also.

If it was a loose connection on the battery wouldnt the engine turn off?

Also not everything turns off at the same time while driving, ei. in one instance the voltmeter might drop to 12.5 and the radio will turn off or the volt meter might drop to 12.1 and the radio will turn off and the clock will reset and all the lights will dim then everything comes back to life.

very strange.

[lucid_dreams]

their are a few things that come to mind on this problem
it sounds like your alt just took a crap but their may be other problems
most people that put a system in their car don't do it correctly and either don't fuse the power cord or they don't put a protective groment arround the hole that your power cable comes through at if so then your hot cable could be grounding out on your bodywork.
also even though a fuse isen't popped it may be bad this has happened twice on my car but mainly due to the trunk mounted battery.
keep us updated on what the dealer finds

[97redtib]

Originally Posted by lucid_dreams

also even though a fuse isen't popped it may be bad

Thats a possibility as well, when my turn signals didnt want to work the first time (which oddly enough now they're fine again and I havent even put the new switch in) my dad and a few other people suggested the relay or fuse, so I checked the fuse with one of those fuse things and it was fine I opted to change it out anyways and my turn signals stopped effing up for quite a while until recently and this was like three months ago!! So maybe change the fuses even if they are testing good!

[187sks]

All the guages, etc. are grounded under the dash. If the headlights don't dim when the guages go out then the underdash grounding points are bad.

The car not starting could be a whole other issue. That can't be the alternator because if it was the symptom would be a dead battery and you're battery's not dead because it starts after a few minutes. That could be from a bad starter solenoid, a bad ignition switch, or a bad ground among other things.

The car does not require a battery while running. It needs either a battery or a functioning alternator. A car can run off of only one or the other but if the alternator's bad you won't get far on a battery alone.

When the electrical system messes up while driving pay attention and try to list as many things as you can that shut down or act odd. Does the engine run fine, if it's an automatic does it shift fine, etc.

[NameLess]

Apparently it was the plastic housing that holds the altenator fuse, it wasnt keeping the fuse in tight enough. I hope this fixes it.

thanks to everyone for their ideas, it definatley helped when I was talking to the service manager. ( I know bugger all about car electrics).