Alright so randomly while idling, my car will shut off completely. EVERYTHING will shut off and stop working, the only thing that will work is whatever is directly connected to the battery. Interior light, gauges, stereo... nothing will work nor will the car start. I'd have to pop the hood and tap the fuse box cover for everything to turn back on. Weird part about this is that sometimes the car will run, I'll turn it off.... go to turn it back on and NOTHING will turn on nor will it start... that's right after just turning it off.... Also there are times where interior lights will work and everything will work but the car won't crank or anything until I go outside and tap the fuse box cover. Now I checked all the fuses and all the wires connected to it, nothing seems to be loose or broken and all the fuses seem to be operational....


What can this be?

 

You sure the main power line post is tight? sounds like that is loose to me

 

The metal screw on post that is covered by a red cap where the fuse box is?

 

Sounds like the main pbattery post. That used to happen to me, back in the day, with my ol' Mercury sable...good times ...

 

Sounds like the main pbattery post. That used to happen to me, back in the day, with my ol' Mercury sable...good times ...

 

Sounds like the main pbattery post. That used to happen to me, back in the day, with my ol' Mercury sable...good times ...

 

Sounds like the main pbattery post. That used to happen to me, back in the day, with my ol' Mercury sable...good times ...

 

Open up the fuse book under the hood and push down on all the fuses and relays and make sure they are seated properly.
after that if its not fixed try the connectors attached to the fuse box making sure you cant wiggle them with out moving the box to.

Obviously if the banging on the fuse box fixes the problem than it stands to reason something in there or attached to it is loose !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Open up the fuse book under the hood and push down on all the fuses and relays and make sure they are seated properly.
after that if its not fixed try the connectors attached to the fuse box making sure you cant wiggle them with out moving the box to.

Obviously if the banging on the fuse box fixes the problem than it stands to reason something in there or attached to it is loose !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Tried it, yesterday I almost died... was doing 75 on highway and bam EVERYTHING went off. Brake lights/hazards/headlights and everything went off and I had trucks driving behind me, quickly pulled off to the side and when I popped the hood, everything started working again. I touched the battery post and it was hot as hell.

 

Potentially a loose ground, though tapping the fusebox is an odd fix. If everything electrical is working but your powertrain is not perhaps there's something fishy with the PCM, ECM or TDM. G/F had similar symptoms on her Aveo (car never randomly shut off) and it required both a TDM and ECM replacement (we're still waiting on the ECM).

 

Your drawing a lot of current from somewhere.
That post shouldnt even be warm let alone hot !

Do you have a huge stereo that would be drawing lots of current.
Like permafried said ,check your grounds and take alook also at the starter cable that its not shorted to ground.

 

Well... I checked and tightened everything up... now I can't make sure it's right because my oil pan is cracked... problem after problem with this car...