Well once again my wife never ceases to amaze me.
"Hey I'm just calling to tell you that the stereo is doing something wierd. It just shut off and then the radar detector went off like i was being clocked then the odometer light started blinking."

Me:"ok WTF did you do?"

Her "I'm just driving it listening to the stereo..."

Me:"I'll look tonight"

So I do, I check the radio wiring. Perfect, ofcorse cus i did it. Harness is fine as well. Double checked the 1 wire that is tapped near the gauges, the tach wire for the remote start. It's fine as well. So I start fussing with the radio, I run it hard for 20 minutes then check the voltage with the car running, it's fine as well. Now things get interesting....
She tells me she had remote started it and when she got in to drive she turned the headlights on. As soo as she did that the car died. It started back up and drove fine. This was ofcorse before the phone call above where the radio flipped out. I started messing with the parking lights turning them on and off, I noticed a delay, of like 1/2 second to a second before the gauge lights came on. The parking lights snap right on, the gauge lights are running behind.

Also the ODO light (the orange one) no longer works either. Not sure what's going on here but it appears the gauges or ECM maybe wigging out. Anyone else have issues like this? I know the charging system in this car is weak but a year and a half after everything was done this starts. Is there a TSB list somewhere again?

I'll probably make an appointment for it saturday but am curious as to the bulb in the gauges being replaceable, I'll do it myself if so.

 

Mine has the same delay, about a half second or so, from turning on the parking lights/headlights until the gauge lights turn on. I have only a stereo and security system with no remote start, all installed correctly (I think...).

Sorry I can't be of more help, but I know nothing at all of electrical systems and would probably only make myself look like a fool.

 

i have that same delay, i think that delay is normal

 

Sadly the voltage regulator appears to be the problem. I started the car 4 times. had the stereo up (some of you may know my previous electrical issues) flipped the headlights on. 2 out of 4 times the headlights caused the radio to reboot, this happens below 12 volts. I volt metered it, sure enough when the headlights hit those 2 times the battery voltage dropped to 11.5 while the car was running. I'm hoping the regulator is a seperate piece or I'm going to find a 180 amp alternator for this car. On a side note the orange LED's for the ODO are working, they don't work while the car is not running. Shows you how often I use this car.

 

Well crap looks like the Alt is going to be replaced or rewound.
DURALAST-IMPORT 90 AMP ($139) $60 core. I'll call tomorrow about rewinding it to 150 or more.

 

i wouldn't even know where too look for the volt regulator at on our cars some thing i would like to know too

i might have to check up on that

 

It's part of the Alternator. Now the messed up part of this is every time I think i have it figured out my wifes adds more. Like the alarm door locks are no longer unlocking when the key is turned off and that the alarm just 'went off when she armed it' yesterday. I have a feeling some of this might be caused by the alarm possibly crapping out.

 

Well I feel like an idiot. Last night I checked the fuses, which were all fine. Then started the car, screwed with the stereo and everything electrical. It was all fine. Went inside, came back out 5 minutes later, whole family (Mother in Law, Father in law, wife and my self) pile in. Key on, dead battery... wtf? for a battery, even more THAT battery to die in 5 minutes there would have had to be a fire..... or totally corroded negative battery terminal.. cleaned the terminal and now everything appears to be ok. We'll see.