Hello


My user name is Hoppy. I live in South Louisiana. I work as a IT helpdesk support technician. I am pretty good with computers and I can work on just about anything. However, my 2005 Crossfire limited roadster is about to make me loose my mind. I bought the car in 2008 it had low miles and I drove it a little when I first got it. Since it is my first sports car I have been very careful to not put a lot a miles on it. It only has 72,000 on it now.
So to start out I haven't been able to put the top down since last fall. The passenger side low beam has not worked even after replacing the bulb and the interior lights will not work either. I cannot lock the doors with the remote. Although It Was running and driving great. So I was using it as a backup vehicle.
I decided to drive it to work today. I had no Problem on the way in this morning or at lunch when I drove it about 2 miles to pick up lunch. Then this afternoon when I left work I got almost half way home and notice that battery light on. I figured I would get it home and test my battery to see if it was shot. I kept driving and at 6 miles from home the ABS, Something ESP and the air bag light came on. I thought it is probably my alternator going out but it was still running fine. Then in about 3 miles the radio went off the spoiler light was flashing and the convertible top light is flashing. I look in the rear view and notice that the spoiler is up and I haven't been to 60 on the road I am on and also noticed smoke pouring out of the back. I stopped and so did the smoke I checked under the hood and the smoke did not seem to be coming from there. At this point I only had a couple of miles to go so I brought it on home. I did notice when I went to take off it didn't seem to be pulling properly it then started picking up speed and I made it in the drive way. I shut it off looked under the hood again I saw no melted wires or anything that Looked like it had been hot. I also checked the trunk and didn't seem like the smoke came from there either. So if anyone can help me out I would appreciate it.


Thanks


Hoppy

 

Welcome!

Sorry you are having some troubles but you are at the right place for help. Peruse the troubleshooting section and maybe a post there about the symptoms. If the battery is over 4 years old you could start there and replace it. Do you have a voltmeter?

DON'T take this to the dealer until you have read the forum posts about your specific issues!

 

OK, a few things right off the bat :
1. GET A NEW BATTERY !
2. interior lights and remote not working : Fuse 9 in under hood fuse box.
3. other misc crap : most likely low voltage from the battery, possible alternator, but I doubt it.
4. Smoke : most likely leaking valve cover vent covers.
5. Headlight : Fuse 6 in panel on left end of dash, or bad wiring or burnt H7 bulb connector or intermittent/bad bulb.

Need more detailed info on the top issue:
1. do the windows go down when the top is unlatched ?
2. have you checked the cargo divider switch ?
3. have you checked the top unlatched switch ?
4. have you checked the trunk latch switch ?

 

I had read on here yesterday about the battery causing problems but I didn't expect this. I do have a Volt Ohm meter.
To answer you questions. Yes the windows go down.
Yes the I have checked the divider switch and the divider snaps in like it should.
No I'm not sure what the unlatched switch is and I listened to see if I could hear the trunk latch switch and did hear something but not sure if what I heard was the trunk latch switch. I did check those fuses last fall and they checked out good with my volt ohm meter.


lock switch on the dash does lock the doors.


I went back out there a few minutes ago and it started right up but the abs light esp and battery lights were still on. On the bright side the radio also started working.

 

Check the battery voltage when the car is off and then while running. This will tell you if the alternator is working.

If the alternator is charging the battery OK but it's about 4 years old just buy a new one.

You may need to do the steering position sensor reset procedure to clear the BAS/ESP light. Low voltage can do that.

 

What you are looking for is 12.4 - 12.6 volts with ignition off, 14.2 - 14.4 with the engine running. Mine sometimes drops back to 13.8 after a while even with my new East Penn DEKA AGM battery.

 

Everything in your post points to a bad battery and a possible bad alternator. YOu say you bought the car in 2008 but do not mention ever replacing the battery - while measuring voltage is a good idea, if that battery has been in there since 08 or earlier, it is time to replace it. Just how long do you think a lead-acid battery lasts?

One more thing:
Continuing to drive a car with such indications is dangerous, unstable voltage caused by a battery's open cell can damage the (very expensive) modules in the car.
Leave the car home until you resolve this.

 

Also, we just had a HUGE get together not far from you (Eureka Springs, Arkansas) - sorry you missed it.

 

Hmm.. based on my coupe and my roadster.. about 8 years on the OEM ones... LOL.

 

Not for me. I got stranded once due to a battery that was 6 years old. Cost $90 tow bill, and $80 diagnostic fee (took them over an hour to realize it was the battery - engine would crank over and start, when you let off the key, it would die).

So had (it was the bosses truck) the battery been changed for a cost of $89, we'd have saved at least that much AND I'd not have lost three hours of productivity that day.

I change my batteries in their fourth year now.

 

Hello everyone. I finally got back to work on my crossfire. I replace the battery and the battery light is still on. I looked in the owners manual and the light that is constantly lit is the charging system warning light. (It looks like a battery) I pulled it out of the carport because the sun was shining right on it and moved under a shade tree about 20 feet away. I shut it off and opened the hood and found where the smoke came from that day on the road. The alternator was burning smoke was boiling up from it. So I will now replace that and then fix everything else. Thanks for you help.

 

Mine got a new alternator in June, five days after I bought it. It is not a bad job, just take the fan assembly out, loosen the tension on the belt and remove it, then take the bolts out holding the alternator in. You then kinda twist and turn it to get the A+ cable and small connector off, then work it out towards the front.. Not really a bad job - just LOOKS like it's going to be hard, but it's not.

 

Remember to disconnect the negative battery cable first !!!!

 

I don't need to replace those spekers and this is good choise as I understand after reading this topic....