While driving the car loses all electrical power?

JZAFFIRO

MEMBER
1980 PONTIAC TRANS AM
5.7L
V8
2WD
AUTOMATIC
68,000 MILES

Car will lose complete electric power while driving. No noise, no lights, turn the key and absolutely nothing. I think it is a wiring issue under the steering column. I jiggled some wires and it started everything. Drove it again and complete loss of power. Got to start again but something with a wire that powers everything is going bad. I noticed my radio cut out first and the fact was jumping around. Then complete power failure.

5 Replies

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
43,055 POSTS

Yep, if you can move wires around under the steering column it sounds like the switch is bad, I would replace it and check the wiring connections at the switch. Check out the diagrams (below). Please let us know what you find.

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Monday, August 29th, 2022 AT 9:33 AM

JZAFFIRO

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3 POSTS

Would it be the ignition switch even though the car starts fine and was running when the power went out?

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Monday, August 29th, 2022 AT 11:48 AM

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
43,055 POSTS

Yep, when you move the wires it moves the contacts inside the switch, but like I say check the wiring as well.

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Tuesday, August 30th, 2022 AT 12:05 PM

JZAFFIRO

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Hi Ken, I unplugged the wiring that goes to the ignition switch on the steering column. Unplugged some other wiring also so the car would not start. However, when the car lost all electrical power while I was driving, I had no interior lights at all, the car was completely dead. When the ignition switch was disconnected, I still had interior lights. I was just running some tests. If it is not the ignition switch or the wiring that goes to it, what else could cause that kind of power failure? I've been able to get the car running both times that this has happened but disconnecting the wiring on the steering column didn't replicate the total electric failure that occurred.

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Saturday, September 17th, 2022 AT 1:36 PM

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
43,055 POSTS

I have seen the main battery fusible links go out intermittently which could be your problem. Please check down by the starter and pull on the links, if they feel rubbery, they are bad, and you need to replace them.