JennZ

*** UPDATE ***

Yes, in the past the battery was removed and charged outside of the vehicle and made no difference. My portable car jumper shows the battery at 13.7 so it's holding a charge which leads me to believe the problem is in how the power is distributed.

Also, please excuse my ignorance, but someone did a test that supposedly would help detect if it was an alternator issue and the results pointed to NO. (He disconnected something and tested the interior lights, etc). I can find out exactly what he did this week.

OTHER MISC INFORMATION that MIGHT help?:

Prior to all of this, the car has NEVER cut off while it was running and NEVER had any troubles starting. The only thing done to the car before these mysterious problems surfaced was about 4-5 months prior to the first "incident" and it was a simple oil change and subsequent installation of the serpentine belt which screeched badly and I had to take it back twice to have them put more dressing on it. Yes, I did race the car occasionally but I know how to drive and took great care of the engine and I am the original owner, so the car was always treated right.

Aside from the aforementioned, the Z has a clean history aside from:

* The TPS (Throttle Position) Sensor needing replacement twice (at 34,000 and 42,000 miles).

* The Air Conditioner does NOT always work when it's hot outside and when it does work, it seems to be fairly random. It's been tested several times and it had the right amount of coolant, no leaks in the hoses, compressor working okay so that is another mystery.

I AM EXTREMELY GRATEFUL to those of you that have replied and/or sent me messages helping me try to solve this problem. THANK YOU SO MUCH! ~ Jennifer

travlee

iTrader: (8)

take the alternator out and take to autozone to have them test it

or if you can get there, they say they can test it on the car

http://www.autozone.com/inourstores/services.jsp

qew

iTrader: (1)

If there is a way to have your alternator tested with a multimeter while running after a trip that would be a good way to make sure its still charging after a heat cycle.Dont the z's come with a voltage gauge?My z came with other gauges on the center of the dash due to it being boosted so I'm not sure.If it does then constantly keep an eye on it while driving and at the end of a drive.

When they replaced the serpentine belt they may have accidentally or purposely disconnected something,a engine ground,sensor,etc. or just a coincidence. As far as the belt dressing,don't ever spray that crap or let someone spray it on your belt,that stuff is a joke and pretty much a bandage. your belt is either loose and needs tension or you have a cheap aftermarket belt. Always try to use oem.

If your ac is working occasionally, that leads me to believe that it has a slow refrigerant leak, but if it were that then once it got low it would not cycle the comp. anymore.or something as easy as a pressure sensor is malfunctioning. When it doesn't work is your comp. engaging while engine is running and ac demand is on?Your should hear a clicking as it engages and disengages.Need more info on this.

And back to your car dying, its odd that your battery keeps discharging this way,if your charging system was fine you would be having to charge or boost your car. Another thing to do is to check your battery after its been sitting for a few days.Check it without turning anything on,no key on engine off,nothing. Also you can check for inactive soft codes,because even though you don't have a check engine light it doesn't mean there isn't a stored inactive code.I think auto zone,pep boys may do it for free, not sure or buy a cheap one just to extract codes.

Hope this helps.

zakmartin

1. Never put belt dressing on a serpentine belt. It will always say so right on the package. Dressing is made for OLD V-belts from the 1980s and before. The **** is useless otherwise and you'll need to clean off all of your pulleys with mineral spirits before you install a new belt or the problems will persist. Get under the car, remove the undershroud, get a bottle of oderless mineral spirits, a brush and a rag and get to work. Wear safety goggles.

2. Only buy OEM belts. The Z does not like aftermarket ****, despite what some people would like you to believe, especially at auto parts stores.

3. There's no way your TPS needed to be replaced twice in such a short timeframe unless someone screwed up the job or you bought an aftermarket part (do they even sell non-OEM TPSs???)

4. If the AC clutch on your compressor is broken and engaging randomly, then that could explain the phantom load on your engine possibly the charging issues. The 350Z has a shitty AC system for starters, but if you have it set to MAX and on recycle-air, a thermometer shoved down a vent should read 25-30 degrees below ambient. That's the simplest way to test it. Don't try to fix the AC yourself unless you own a GOOD (i.e., non-Harbor Freight) AC Manifold, vacuum pump, etc. and have a dye kit to find your leak).

You might want to shell out $80 have have a dealership hook your car up to a Consult scan tool to run a diagnostic on it before you spend any more money on parts you don't need.