I searched the threads and found nothing. Need help figuring this one out. Yesterday the wife and I took off to go shopping. Two blocks from house came to a stop sign and the entire truck just shut off. I mean engine dies radio still on. Place in park, try to restart and nothing. Turning the key to run and check engine light is the only light lit on the dash. Turn to start, no response not even a clicking to indicate a weak battery. Turn off and on the ignition, still nothing. Pop the hood, checked the battery cables are good and tight (already replaced battery terminals). Everything is tight. Get back in, turned key back and forth a few times to try to start, nothing and the only light lit on the dash is the check engine. Kept fumbling with the ignition on and off. The stater clicked twice and stopped. This happened three times. Did that a few more times on and off and finally it started up. While it was off I did have dome lights and they did not dim when I tried to start to indicate a dead or weak battery. Even if there was a problem with the battery the alternator keeps the electrical energized so it should not just die when I stopped. I run the ScanGauge II and noticed the electrical was at 14.7 volts when I stopped before it died. Once it started the ScanGauge did show any codes. Where do I start? TIA.

 

Check your engine harness grounds. You might have a loose one.

 

If you had a check engine light, get it scanned. A ScanGauge is a simple OBD II reader, not truly a scanner.

Pull the ignition switch and clean the contacts with electrical contact cleaner as well as checking your harness grounds. Cleaning the ignition switch is like 2 screws 10 minutes or less. Easy stuff first.

 

The check engine light did not come back on once it started. I will scan with my OBD2 reader. Hopefully tonight I can pull the switch and clean it.

 

I cleaned the terminals last night. Time will tell if that fixes the problem. Thanks Doc Olds for the advice.

 

So after cleaning the terminal with electrical cleaner it did it again. I ordered and replaced yesterday the ignition switch. Went through the 30 minute relearn passcode and it started right away. Drove to the gas station and the mall about 20 minutes away. All went well. Started right up and drove home. Made it all the way home and went to place it in Park and it died again. This time it was different. Turned off, tried to start, nothing. Kept fumbling with the key switch, on off on off, nothing, no dash lights nothing. Dome lights still on so not a battery issue. Then all the dash lights came on but no start. The dash odometer was reading all character symbols, no actual numbers like a reset display or when you first turn the key on display. Key became stuck in ignition and would not shut off to remove it. Finally turned off and key came out, BUT all dash lights and radio still on. After multiple attempts of on off it went to complete off. Waited about a minute and it started right up with no problems. Does this sound like a BCM problem?

 

What year is it? Miles? Does it have a sunroof?

 

2008 Alpha 126,000 miles, no sunroof.

 

Did you check under the dash for a tracking device?

 

Why would there be a tracking device on my vehicle? The dealer was paid in full. I financed it through my credit union. Thats a weird question.