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Think it's the battery?

JuilinSandar

New member
Just took the car out earlier today with no problems after just cleaning the MAF sensor and fixing my check engine light. Car ran fine for about 30min. Left it parked again and about 6 hours later went to pick up the wife and the when I turned it on all the lights flickered and the radio wouldn't turn on. The car then died, I turned it back on and it turned on no problem. Started driving and had the car lose power and turn off about 15 min into the trip. Managed to make it there and back with the car turning off 3 more times. Would it be the battery dying when its turning off even when the car is running? Could it be just the cold weather or has the battery reached the end of its life? Anything else might be causing this?
 


2003 grand prix. I should say it got more difficulty to turn back on each time. I asked my friend to take a quick look who knows a little more about cars. We turned the car on a few times back at home now and it turned on no problem didn't struggle at all to start right up. Also the radio has turned back on now. He thought it might have been the fuel pump maybe interrmmitently not working cause he said the battery seemed strong. We listened for the fuel pump a couple times and heard it come on each time. As far as cleaning the MAF sensor, I had my check engine light come on a couple days ago at work and my car was sputtering bad and stalled out a few times. Had it diagnosted with code of P0102 Mass or volume air flow circuit low input. So I just took out the MAF sensor and cleaned it and then the check engine light turned off and the car ran fine for a couple outings.
 


Started it again this morning and it ran going around the block a few times just fine but then I parked again and turned off and then back on and the check engine light came back on and car died again. Now engine light is on and it keep dying.
 
Yeah I am starting to think its not battery or alternator. Each time I turn the car on it last less and less time before it stalls untill finally it just stalls out right away. It seems that after I leave it for a while it runs again fine and then starts dying again after a bit. Like I said I cleaned the MAF sensor and it got rid of the check engine light the first time but now it came back a day later. I tried tapping the MAF and it dosn't stall or sputter when I do this. At work now so I will see what happens when I get home. Gonna bring scanner home and see what the engine lights for this time as last time it was P0102 code.
 


Bad ignition switch possibly? Test the wires with multi meter while it's acting up.

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Doesn't sound like an alternator or battery, unless it's dirty terminals. My car did something similar, I cleaned my terminals and it never did it again. Just something easy to check while under the hood.

All honesty, sound like it's your MAF. What did you clean it with? I have come to find out, cleaning the MAF's just prolong the inevitable. Tried on my car, a Sonata, and a Volvo. All three ended up getting new MAF's.
 
So I bought a new MAF sensor and the car was running fine and the check engine light turned off. I bought this yesterday and the car ran fine all day yesterday and today. I just went out to grab some food and when I turned the car back on the lights flickered and then the car died. Turned on again right away and got home no problem. Once I was home I turned the car off and on a few times to check it out and each time the car turned on right away and then would rev high for a sec the drop real low and it would keep revving itself up fairly aggressively to compensate and followed this cycle a few times before dying. So this is with a new MAG sensor now.
 


Ohh and also my friend heard this noise which he then showed me that when you turn the car off and if your heads under the hood you hear this kinda ticking for a few seconds and then a whoosh kinda noise right by the air intake pipe thing. Kinda off topic may have always done that not sure but also kinda interested to know if thats normal or possibly related.
 
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