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Complete shutdown while driving

15K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  repairman54 
#1 ·
Hi everyone.

Hoping for some advice with a problem with my mom's 2009 Chevy Malibu: complete shutdown while driving.

Here are all the clues so far:

1. My mom uses her Malibu exclusively for short trips. (The 2009 has 17,000 miles on it). She has never experienced any of the problems I am describing.

2. She loaned me her Malibu for a couple of weeks and in those weeks, the car has shutdown completely while driving 4 times.

3. The car completely fails suddenly. No warning lights, no change in engine speed, nothing. The engine shuts off, the radio, the headlights, the hazard lights, etc.

4. All 4 times I had been driving for more than 40 minutes but less than an hour in hot weather. Twice I had been driving at highway speeds (55 mph), once at slow speed (20 mph), and once while waiting at fast food drive thru.

5. When I open the hood, the area around the battery is extremely hot. I mean really, really burning hot.

6. After the car sits for a while (30 minutes to an hour), the electrical system comes back on (the hazard lights start to flash again). And I can then re-start the car.

7. After the second failure, the mechanic cleaned the battery posts -- after finding some corrosion. But the car has failed twice after this.

8. The last time the car failed, I noticed that although the electrical system seemed to have failed (no headlight, no radio, no hazard lights) the indicators on the fuel gauge and the temp gauge had not fallen all the way back to the off position (Empty for the fuel gauge and C for the temp gauge) as they normally do whenever you turn off the car. They were sitting a bit above this. So, not knowing about cars, but whenever my computer is messed up, I turn it off and on. So... I disconnected the cables from the car battery and re-attached them. After that, I was able to re-start the car and was on my way. (And did not need to wait the usually 30 minutes to an hour).

I'm thinking it has something to do with all that heat around the battery which does not seem normal. Why is it getting so hot in that area of the car?

I'd be really grateful for any suggestions and thoughts on this! Thanks!
 
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#2 ·
Have the battery and alternator checked. Weak battery that can still start the car has been an issue for several members. Computers in these cars require a narrow voltage range and act weird when it is out of spec.

See if any fuses have obvious damage, such as melted or discolored terminals. These could indicate loose terminals and/or higher than normal amperage but not enough to blow the fuse.
 
#3 ·
I agree this sounds like most likely a battery issue. It may only have 17K, but that battery might be the original and have 7 years on it. If so thats well outside the expected lifespan. Newer cars lose their minds when the voltage isn't exactly in the tiny range the computer expects.
 
#4 ·
Bad battery.
Internal battery connector failure. Smack the battery or even slam hood or door and power returns, starts OK, lights come on, etc. . Just like a UFO flew over and left LOL
I've had 3 batteries in the last 8 yrs. do this in my other vehicles. 2 AZ and 1 Diehard batteries.
Less lead, less weight trend = less reliability IMO
 
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