I've got a '98 Z28 with Automatic and 35,000 miles...

I've owned the car since new and this has never happened before.

I'm driving down the interstate the other day, and ALL OF A SUDDEN out of nowhere my instrument cluster, radio, all electrical goes all funky and weird, and the car shuts it's self off! Dead!!!

I'm in the right hand lane (luckily) and able to coast over to the shoulder of the road.... I try to restart the car and it does, without issue or labor.

I take off again, the radio station presets are gone, but the radio is working, as is the instrument cluster.

I go home check all the fuses that I can see, and they appear to be fine?

I check the battery terminals, they are clean and tight. Again, all appears to be fine?

(btw - the battery is a two year old H.D. NAPA 72 month, that is always on the battery tender, because I use the car so little)

Please, has anybody else ever had this happen to them?

What did you find that caused this issue of the car dying?

Thanks!!

 

I don't know but maybe a loose ground wire somewhere?

 

take your battery cables off the battery and wire brush the heck out of the wire connectors at the end of the wire. also brush the battery terminals. there should be a junction box (red box) on the passenger side wheel well take the wires lose and wire brush the wire ends there as well. there also should be a ground screw there with a bunch of wires to it, clean them as well. it could also be the vats system. if u dont have an extra key have one made. how dirty or worn is the resistor connections on your key. did any security or ses lights come on?

 

id go with craby on this one, the cars turn off after driving a short while if it realises the key in the car has the wrong resistor chip so shuts down the motor. if you resistor chip is dirty it will do this, i know mine has not started a few time and the security light stayed on till i gave the chip a wipe. I cant thing of a tempromental electrical problem that would cause everything to shut off simoultaneously ?

 

The Radio Stations were Gone, ditto on Craby's suggestion first.

 

Thanks Guys for your help!

I cleaned all of the terminals and cable ends already.

IF there is a security chip in the ignition key, do I have to go to a dealership to have that made / cut?

Who ever cuts the new keys, must have to match them to the vehicle correct?

Thanks again everybody!!

 

I think you have to give the Dealership your Vin #, Driver License, Title or some proof of ownership , and they will check the resistance on the old key and cut a new one for about 35 bucks or so. The Key has a resistor built in it and will need to be duplicated exactly. One from walmart wont work. There are several options one can take, if there is a problem in the security system.

 

It aways good to have a extra key but the Vat system does not cut power to everything. Just the injectors and fuel pump. Loosing your radio indicates complete lose of power. Even you battery terminals will not do that. The junction boxs Craby mention are very likely it. If you lost ground between the motor and the body it would also cause this.

 

I agree with Gorn that this wouldn't be a VATS problem.

Similar thing happened to me once in my dad's old Saturn wagon. Driving down the road, all the dials went to zero and then a few started whacking out like crazy. The car coasted fine, and then when I started to try to accel, the pedal was on the floor with almost zero power.

It ended up being the alternator. The problem is that any car made in the late 80s or later are all computer controlled, and if the comp is getting wrong voltage it can cause all sorts of stupid problems. I'd have your alternator thoroughly checked and see if there's anything wrong with it.

 

in order to get another key u need to know the resistance that u have on your key. there are like 13 different key resistance types. u can get the key on ebay once u know the number needed for cheep and then just have it cut at your local hardware store. got mine for 9 bucks i think it was. gorn is right the voltage had to have a drastic cut somewere to do what happened. when the power came back on what voltage did u read. if u noticed,lol, i know thats probly the last thing u were worried about. the only other thing i can think of is one of the relays or the ignition fuse which if i remember right is a breaker type fuse and resets itself which would make sense in this case.