New Member here,

I recently bought a 2004 Saturn ion at auction. Car got snowed in prior to being picked up, still turned on at first try. Shook off the snow and drove the car about 2 hours or so. Car had a minor strut wobble on the right front passenger tire the whole ride. I turned my lights on, heater at 2, radio on, drove for 2 hours, which is when the radio shut off and the on my dash seemed to dim (not sure if they also went out), I got a power steering message appear and it began to get stiff to drive. My first response was to shut off the running lights and the heater. When I switched the lights from on/off I noticed a change in the power of the car. Almost as if the headlights had some control over the radio,dash, car total power..... However after a mile or so the car gave out.

My first thought was that the car might have been improperly jumped and caused a blown fuse. causing these problems.
I was stranded so resulted to jumping the car thru the battery in the trunk (which was older battery)
ended up jumping the car about 4 times leaving it connected to the jumper cables a bit to transfer a bit more charge

Managed to get it home and threw in a temp battery that was in my 93 ranger with some adapters for it to fit the side posts

battery light went off then turned back on after car died again. power steer message is also still on

I am planning on changing the alternator for the issue with it shutting off, just not sure if the whole lights shutting off the radio and affecting the power has anything to do or only a symptom to a trending problem with 04 ions

any insight would be appreciated.

Will update this weekend when I change the alternator and run a fuse check. check wires for corrosion.

Thanks yall

 

Sounds like the alternator failed and the car was running off of the battery, which was probably not fully charged when you left the lot. Once the battery got low enough, the PCM could no longer function.

You should easily be able to check the output DC volts of the alternator presently in the vehicle before the swap.
Can't hurt to check the cleanliness and tightness of the cable connections at the alternator and the battery and where the negative battery cable grounds to the frame. If you don't have a complete circuit, the battery is not going to charge.

There is usually an inline fuse in the cable between the alternator output and the positive battery terminal or wherever that cable leads. It takes a lot of current to burn them out and it's not a drawn out event. I doubt it's an issue and yours but since you're in there he might as well look at it. If the cable was continuous then it's not an issue.

 

Thanks! I will update once I get the alternator swapped out and check for corrosion, grounding issues

Hopefully it holds charge and keepy my radio and stuff from freaking when I turn the lights on ja