aarona1000rr

So it won't start. And I have no idea whats up with it. Here's as much info as I can remember and I hope someone can help me here. Sorry it's so long but I wanted to give all info:

I installed some indiglo gauges about a week ago, they worked great, I spliced the power off of the center console light but the cupholder. While in the garage doing so the battery tender hanging from the ceiling was touching the windshield wiper frame. When I went to start the car nothing happened, no lights, no clicks, just plain dead, except for the scangauge (aftermarket digital speedo, tach, etc). It flickered a few times, I gave it a power cycle, then I moved the battery tender wire (in case that was shorting it out or something) and fiddled around with the wires under the steering column a little, then it started (although it ran a little rough at first), I drove it for about 25 miles with no issues, so I thought it was fine. Now it happened again. Battery has 12v, no fuses are blown (even the main), theres power going to the cig lighter in ACC, but it turns off when switched to ON, the scangauge flickers again. If I unplug/replug the scangauge it has power in ACC (can get to menus etc) but as soon as I switch to ON it goes out and flickers again. These 2 things seem to be the only things that get any power at all. My worry is that the ecu is fried, but why would it work for 25 miles then stop working again? I'm just so confused as to what might be the problem, maybe a short somewhere? Does this ring a bell to anyone who might know the issue off hand?

Thanks in advance and I will give whatever other info you might need, although the car is 25 miles away at my work, so it might not be quick lol

tbone heller

Could be a bad ignition switch. I remember mine doing some funky stuff after I did my swap. A spray of WD-40 into the key cylinder solved my issues.

aarona1000rr

Update, serving from ACC to ON the cart sounds normal, like the heater fan turns on, I can get the parking lights to turn on, but if I turn the headlights on the whole thing dies. If I try to start the car, the whole thing dies. This will happen twice before it won't let me get the parking lights again. A friend mentioned a starter short, does that sound like a possibility?

Edit, tried the WD40 and still no luck.

Meierznutz

I would say that you have a loose ground at the battery or at the frame from the battery. I have a friend that just went through this on his car. He fried a set of coils twice! You need to have a ground strap from the battery to the body, from the body to the engine, and from the engine to the front subframe wouldn't hurt either. If you are useing a majority of the Miata harness, check the ground point just under the Brake Booster (about 5 wires that have a plastic connector and one screw to the body). As I said, a bad ground will raise hell with things. I would remove all of them you can find, clean the connection point and add dielectric compound before reinstalling. Should get things back to normal. Good luck....

aarona1000rr

Figured it out, the nut holding the pos battery cable at the starter solenoid was loose, so there wasn't a good connection and thats where the whole car gets power from. Tightened it up and starts like a champ again. Thanks for all the help guys!