Intermittent Electrical starting issue
 

Just looking for a little input here before I take a visit to a garage to help out.

Yesterday, I tried to start my 2002 Z28 - car opened ok with remotes, saw lights on dash panel for a second when I turned the key, then a short "click" but then nothing... turn key again... nothing - no clicks, nothing. All Electrical dead.
Had been driving around earlier all OK.
Got jump leads on... nothing... messed around with jump leads (still connected, just trying to make sure connections was good)... still nothing... messed around even more... bingo! Started... but engine was sooo trying to die on me so for sure very little charge there... decided to drive around to re-charge...
Didn't work.
Turned off ignition... car dead... nothing. Gathered a few friends with jump leads again with took around 10 mins... just about to connect jump leads when... yep... it started.
Drove home, all ok - no trying to die on me. Parked up overnight... this morning - started perfectly. Went to work... parked up... worked... started fine... home and all is OK.

SO... I'm pretty sure a new alternator could be in my future as I when I am able to drive around there is a whining noise coming in through the speakers.

BUT... I was wondering if there is some other or additional explanation of what happened so that

1. I take care of the whole problem (if it's not just the Alternator)
2. I don't get ripped off by a garage by them trying different things before getting to the root of the issue.

As you may guess, I'm not a mechanic or electrician and I don't know too much, but I'm just trying to educate and protect, myself.

Thanks so much...Ceri

try cleaning the battery terminals and the grounds.

heres a diagram of the battery cables. this is for an LT1, im not sure if the block ground is the same on the LS1

http://shbox.com/1/battery_cable_routing1.jpg

the grounds are all #2

/\ /\ /\ agree wire brush the heck outa the battery cable ends and battery terminals. check battery cables for damage.

I just cleaned the fuzzies off of my stang the other day. You should inspect the battery and water level every oil change

Have the alternator checked. A radio whine can be caused by a poor electrical connection, or a bad alternator. The diodes inside the alternator are what converts power from AC to DC. They also control power flow so that it only goes in one direction. So..... if you have a bad diode(s), it can give you a radio whine (due to a ripple in the power output), and it will also allow power to flow back into the alternator when the car sits, draining the battery.

It could be a fusable link that is almost gone, hate those dang things. There's a bundle of wires on the passenger side by the positive distro block (red cap with + on it). In those wires there are sections with black heat shink on it, look for one that's sort of melted or could be melted pretty good, and that's your issue.

These things are made to melt and cut the current flow during a power surge to keep from hurting other electrical. The problem is sometimes they don't melt 100% and you have just barely enough connection there to let it start and drive for a while. I've had this issue happen before twice. It drives you crazy until you finally figure it out.