# What is wrong with my car? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 23, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-car/619703 "2012-04-23T16:40:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![secretsmile36](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@secretsmile36](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/secretsmile36)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-car/619703/1 "2012-04-23T16:40:55Z")
I have a 2004 Mazda mini van. It intermittently shuts off while I’m parked and the motor is running and I need to have someone boost me. I had a mechanic check the alternator and the battery and everything came back fine. Obviously it’s not fine and I’m wondering if the mechanic got his license of a match box. Anyways, do you think it is the battery or the alternator. The battery is only 3 1/2 years old. The last time the car shut off the gages started doing crazy things and the clock turned off then the motor stopped. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-car/619703/2 "2012-04-23T16:44:15Z")
Tough to diagnose, but I’d start with a loose/bad battery cable. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-car/619703/3 "2012-04-23T16:46:10Z")
> [@SanDiegoTim](#): > > Tough to diagnose, but I’d start with a loose/bad battery cable. yes, always start here. a loose or corroded battery connection can cause this very issue. It’s also important to check the negative battery cable where it connects to the body/engine and make sure that connection is secure. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-car/619703/4 "2012-04-23T16:48:27Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > yes, always start here. a loose or corroded battery connection can cause this very issue. It’s also important to check the negative battery cable where it connects to the body/engine and make sure that connection is secure. Yep. I’ve run into that on several cars. One (a Mazda 626 in fact) would occasionally die **while running** … the day it did that on I-395 southbound from Washington DC was a rare treat. It got restarted in a minute or so, fortunately. Not precisely the behavior the OP describes, but once the connectors were cleaned up it was fine. Similarly our 1996 Dodge Caravan went nutso - all the chimes were trying to sound halfhearted beeps, random clicking, nothing would start - turned out to be a battery cable mess issue. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-car/619703/5 "2012-04-23T17:30:24Z")
Those crazy signs you saw are those of a voltage dropping in a modern system. That could be the battery, cables loose or other things. By the way, a 3.5 year old battery is on probation in my book. I don’t care what the guarantee is. The really good mechanic’s licenses reportedly come in Cracker Jack boxes, not match boxes. I know this for a fact. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-car/619703/6 "2012-04-23T18:14:00Z")
As others have said, check all your connections. I have seen this same problem when the battery and/or alternator is not grounded to the chassis. ---
**Author:** ![secretsmile36](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@secretsmile36](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/secretsmile36)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-car/619703/7 "2012-04-23T21:15:44Z")
Thanks for all the replies! I will update you and let you know if you were right.