Hi Everyone,

I've been having some ongoing electrical issues with my 1997 SC400. For the past year or so, I've had some weird things happen. Occasionally I'd turn the key and all the electronics inside turned on, but the engine wouldn't crank (no clicking or anything). I'd have to wait a few minutes, then somehow it would magically resolve itself and start fine. Sometimes things would reset, like my settings on the radio (losing my saved stations)

This past few weeks, I started having an issue with the battery. It would not hold a charge, and I had to get my co-worker to jump me. I finally bought a new battery yesterday and hooked it up. It started perfectly this morning, drove 16 miles to work. Then on my lunch break, I started it again no issue, fired up right away and all electronics good. After a few minutes, I turned my engine off, then tried starting it again. It's now completely dead, no power to anything at all, not even the dash lights, locks, power seat, etc.

It's definitely not an issue with the battery because it's a fully charged, brand new. It was literally running 100% one second, then 0% the next. If it were an alternator charging issue, the battery should still have some residual energy to at least illuminate the dash. I replaced the alternator only 4 years ago anyways. I replaced the terminals and they are well screwed on. I suspected the starter was bad, but then why would none of the other electronics work? Could it be a fuse, the wires, or a grounding issue?

 

Check the ground and battery terminals and make sure they are free of any corrosion and have a nice solid contact patch.

 

I've had my share of electrical issues and I had something similar to this happen to me recently.
Do as eknine9 said and check those things but when this happens again (hopefully doesn't) check your
fuses in the engine bay by the battery for any corrosion in the big fuses (60a,160a, 100a etc, if it all looks in order try wiggling/pushing the yellow 60 amp fuse labeled MAIN in place (while your key is in the ignition switch set to on to hear the dinging) by the 160 amp alternator fuse if that helps you need to adjust that fuse. It's held in by two 13 or 14 screws I believe.

 

I had a similar situation, mine was a loose fuse connection in the kick panel fuses. When its not working correctly wiggle the fuses on all the fuses and like slaker13 says, watch for the prob. to resolve, then make the repair.