03 chevy tracker- something wrong electrical?

Maintenance/Repairs
1

So I have a 2003 Chevy Tracker 6 cylinder. Yesterday I while driving i noticed the Airbag light was flickering, after stopping at a red light it started sputtering when I hit the gas to go, so I turned off the AC and it started running fine and every time after that till I got home when I turned on the ac it would spit and sputter. once I got home and parked I turned on the AC to see what was going on and it died in a few seconds. Then it wouldn’t start back up and the battery acted like it was dead so I got a friend to give me a jump and it turned over but the didnt crank and now I have no electrical anything inside even when connected to the jump car I get no radio, no driver side door ding, and no tachometer since its digital.

I have checked the fuses and they all seem fine does one have any ideas of what I could check.

2

first thing is check the battery and the cables

If they’re loose, tighten them

Is the battery electrolyte level low . . . this only applies if the battery has removable caps. If so, fill with distilled water, but only so the plates are just covered, NOT until water comes gushing out the top

If any of what I said applies, you’ll probably have to charge the battery and retest before moving on

One more thing . . . your terminology

Turning over and cranking are the same thing

So after your friend “gave you a jump” . . . did the engine turn/crank over?

I’m not asking you if the engine started . . . only asking if it cranked over, and did it crank over at its usual speeed?

Because if it didn’t even crank over, you may have even bigger problems

Does the accessory drive belt have good tension?

if the battery tests good after you do the various things I suggested, the next thing is checking the charging system. You do this with everything hooked up and the truck running. Don’t bring the alternator to a store for testing, because by doing that, you’re disregarding the battery, wiring and a few other things. Many parts stores will test the charging system for free, because they hope you’ll buy the alternator and/or battery from them

By the way, if the battery’s already 5 years old or more, you should think about replacing it now. Think of it as preventive maintenance

Please define “checked the fuses”

Please define “they all seem fine”

Checking many fuses involves using a 12V test light

And a fuse is either good or it’s not

It’s very likely your vehicle has more than one fuse box, I don’t know if you even have an owner’s manual . . . many people don’t have it or can’t find it, especially if they bought the vehicle used

When the engine was still running, you didn’t see any other warning lights besides the airbag light did you?

Such as the red low engine oil pressure warning?

Does the engine have sufficient oil . . . is the level between the 2 marks ?

coolant level fine?

3

db4690,

Thanks for the help. So address so of your questions and concerns
1.) it does crank over at usual speed
2.) the battery is good just had it replaced a few months ago
3.) the Fuses they are all good i checked both the fuse panel under the dash board on the drivers side and the one under the hood right by the battery and none of the LOOKED to be burned out
4.) yes the oil is good it is between the two marks
5.) there were no other warnings other then the sputtering before i turned off the AC even the Airbag light went off when i turned off the AC
6.) I checked the Belts and the tension on them is normal

what bothers me most is that even while getting a jump start nothing on the dash come on like it normally would no lights, no radio, nothing

4

It’s hard to predict what the effect of jump starting will be on the dashboard warning lights. The two alternators are fighting with each other which can confuse the entire electrical system. Jump starting can also cause permanent damage to the electrical system. It is safer to charge the battery with a battery charger, then crank it up normally with the key in start.

If I had that problem myself I’d measure the battery first thing in the morning before starting the car. Should be about 12.6 volts. Then after starting the engine it should measure 13.5-15.5 volts. If your car doesn’t pass that test, no sense working on other problems. Fix whatever is causing that first, as it may solve the other problems. There is some possibility w/these symptoms your AC compressor is failing and starting to seize up, which will stall out the engine if severe enough.

1 Like
5

This seems like a very good possibility.

6

I think the airbag light was flickering because the alternator is generating too much ripple voltage. You may need to replace the alternator.

To fix the ignition problem I first suggest you clean all the battery connections using a wire brush. Even if the connections look okay. If that doesn’t fix the issue then you need to check the power wiring between the battery and the fuse panel under the hood. Power is usually provided to that panel by a smaller wire that ties to the main fuse or fusible link in the panel. You also need to check the grounding to the chassis from the battery. Make sure that is making good connection.