87 Fiero loss of electric power

[gla69bird]

Had a lose bracket on the motor, thought that was my problem. rocking the motor , got engine to fire up. Stepped on the brake and all power gone again. Looking for some insight.

[KA9MOT]

Originally posted by gla69bird
Had a lose bracket on the motor, thought that was my problem. rocking the motor , got engine to fire up. Stepped on the brake and all power gone again. Looking for some insight.

Check your battery terminals, are they dirty? Look for your engine grounds. Make sure your connection to your starer are good.

Welcome to the Forums. Nice to see another Minnesotan here.

[gla69bird]

Went over terminals at battery and starter, OK, brake pedal will cut off power sitting perfectly still on flat ground. Gronding strp at top of motor is solid and clean to a head bolt.

[skoelker]

how old is your battery?? i've seen a battery short out sometimes and cause this problem.. and after a little while everything will work again

[gla69bird]

Originally posted by skoelker
how old is your battery?? i've seen a battery short out sometimes and cause this problem.. and after a little while everything will work again

[gla69bird]

Has a brand new battery in it, check with meter, putting out 11.8 the battery is not the problem. Is the brake switch hooked to anything other then the brake lights and the power source. It is also not blowing the fuse from an overload.

[Wally King]

I know you have probably have already check this but make sure there are not any wires around the brake pedal when you push on it. The brake pedal could be getting on them and shorting them out I have seen this happen without blowing a fuse. Hope this might help you.

[KA9MOT]

11.8 Volts is too low. Check your voltage again and then try charging your battery. Brand new batteries will short out just as a used one will. All it take is a hard bump between the manufacturer and today. A fully charged battery should have at least 12.3 Volts. Besides, the real worker here is your amperage. Low voltage is indicative of a problem.

You can try a jump start as well. By the way an auto parts store, even WalMart can test your battery.

[gla69bird]

The battery starts the car without any problem. That was the reading after it sat for the month I was gone before I looked at the problem. I will check the battery, but this still does not answer the question? When the motor is running or not running and I step on the brake pedal all power is lost until I shaked/roll the car and the power returns. Looking at the wiring diagram I don't see any connection that should totally shut down the car when the brakes are applied. Thanks

[KA9MOT]

The positive wire going to ground would kill everything. I just can't figure the brake relationship. I'll continue to give it some thought. If the positive cable did go to ground you would know it immediately because an electrical fire would result. I'm still thinking bad connection though.

Sorry I haven't been much help.

[gla69bird]

Appreciate the input. I'll need to get it on a hoist and check all lower connection points.

[TNcarguy]

As well as I remember, Fiero's had an overheating problem due to the mid-engine design. Could be it got hot sometime and melted the insulation off a wire. I'd try checking the wiring around the engine for cracks in the insulation.
That's just a shot in the dark. I haven't got a clue how pressing the brake pedal fits in.....

[KA9MOT]

Originally posted by TNcarguy
I haven't got a clue how pressing the brake pedal fits in.....

Yeah.......That's the real brain stumper.

[danny]

the brake lights use a lot of power, you might want to check/replace the battery cables, battery cables corrode from the inside and may look good. also start looking at circuit breakers. disconnect the wires at the brake pedal to prevent the lights from coming on and step on the pedal

[gla69bird]

Will try your comments this weekend and see what I can find. Will let you know of my findings, and hopefully repair. thanks for the input.