Hello I have a 1997 Plymouth breeze. My car lately has been having issues when it accelerates. When ever I go over 3000 rpm’s to quickly the whole front dash would turn off. The car still runs fine though and the head lights still stay on. When I let go of the gas the front dash would turn back on. It would eventually turn off again once I pass the 3000 rpm mark. I went to autozone to check the battery and their reader said that the battery was bad. I just want to make sure it is the battery before I buy a new one though.
This has nothing to do with the battery, although you might have a weak one.
“front dash would turn off” ? Perhaps the engine is moving due to the acceleration (bad engine mount?) and breaking an electrical connection to the dash.
AutoZone says battery bad, so why not get a new one before you are stranded some place. If that does not fix dash light problem at least one possibility eliminated.
If the battery tests bad in a load test you’re best bet is to replace that first. You need to replace it anyway, otherwise its going to leave you stranded one day. Trying to debug this with an existing battery problem would be like trying to build a level house on a shifting foundation. You’d end up wasting time and money. The entire electronics system in the car requires a battery fully charged in good condition so it can deliver the electrical power the car’s systems require. Suggest to address the battery problem first, and if the dash problem remains post back here.
The battery is fairly new though.
Get the battery checked somewhere else.
Check the battery cable junction points, make sure they are tight. Check the battery connections, side post batteries can leak and corrode the connections.
"The battery is fairly new though."
Was the alternator output checked?
Even a brand-new battery can be ruined fairly quickly if the alternator doesn’t recharge it properly, and an alternator that is 19 years old is certainly suspect. When the diodes in an alternator begin to fail, they can produce very erratic voltage spikes, and those voltage spikes can result in all sorts of strange behavior on the part of the various electronic components in a vehicle.
Get that alternator checked, and get that battery replaced, before you wind up stranded and you have to pay for towing–in addition to the other fees.
Thanks guys I’ll buy a new battery and hope that was just the problem.
The weak battery has nothing to do with dash intermittently not working. You even stated that the headlights and engine still work, which require much more power than the dash circuits do. You first need to make sure that dash wire connectors are making good connection. You may have to pull the cluster to do that. If that is okay then you need to check the power and ground for the dash and make sure that is making good connection. From what you stated about the problem it seems you have a loose connection to the dash somewhere.
There is not much to it. I would check the grounds to the dash. If the headlights are staying on and the engine is running, then it’s not the battery. I would make sure all the connections are clean and tight.