Surges Then Quits

This started on Friday. I was headed out for lunch and pulled away from the curb and the car lurched forward slightly, I took my foot off the gas to let it coast and then put my foot back down on the pedal and it sputtered and quit. I started it again and thought maybe I didn't let it warm up enough.. it was in the 30's but not cold like it's been. So I let it sit for another 5 minutes and then it did it again. I THOUGHT it felt like it was running rich, because as long as I eased into the pedal it didn't quit. When it surges the idiot lights all turn on for a second and then off.

Then, I was driving home and went over a set of railroad tracks and every light on the dashboard flickered on and then off and then it quit again. So I was coasting at 40mph with no power steering. I put it in Neutral turned it over and it started right up and I was good to go. I got it home without any problems.

I was busy all weekend and didn't get a chance to look at it, so when I left for work this morning I let it warm up for a while and drove off... but... same thing, a surge, lights flicker and then quit. Luckily I was only 100 yards from my house before it quit. I'm at a total loss... I have an appointment at a local shop to have rear brakes fixed (brake lines completely rusted out) and to put new tires on. Hopefully I can get it there... you guys got any ideas?

Check the battery cables & terminals for looseness and corrosion.

I checked the battery terminals when I got home and they're fine. I was in the car and my dad slammed the good and the lights flickered again. Drive the car to shop and it sputtered over both sets of tracks and a bumpy section of road. I'm guessing there's gonna be a loose wire somewhere.

Check the grounds?

Auxiliary battery post?

toomanytoyz wrote:

Auxiliary battery post?

Check for rust underneath the aux post on the inner fender.Has to be something simple to fix at least for one of us,maybe not you Mark!

Dang Jim.... I don't think we can be friends anymore.


It ended up being the grounds. They cleaned'em all up and plugged everything back in. Car runs like a champ now. Glad it was an easy fix. I had it in the shop anyway for new tires so I figured what the heck, why not.

WOOHOO!Glad its fixed and it wasnt too hard to find!You could always ask sis for help!