S
SkyyStorm
Hi.
I want to start to say that I've had this problem for some time now. I've given my car to more than one auto-electrician in an attempt to have it fixed, but they have to date only cost me money with no result because I can't give them enough information on the problem.
My car :
2009 Hyundai Tiburon
102 000 kms on the clock
Serviced at 95000
Battery replaced at 98000 (while the symptoms were already present, was tried as a possible solution)
Here is a description of the symptoms I experience :
1) While driving, I will start to hear an audible high-pitched whine, seemingly coming from the passenger side of my car (near the ECU, but could be below the hood as well, hard to pinpoint). This sound increases in pitch based on my RPM. So increasing my engine's revs also increases the sound's pitch. Initially, this doesn't seem to cause any change in driving condition. However, in certain (very rare, mostly with AC on or with something plugged into cigarette lighter) cases, while driving, my car would suddenly lose all power. Engine, lights, radio, everything. This usually lasts less than a second, after-which the car restarts itself and continues on as if nothing happened. This happens only if I have AC on, or if I have something plugged into the cigarette lighter.
2) Second symptom happens when I stop. If the whining sound was audible while driving, and I stop and turn off the engine(but still have the key in ACC), very often all power will drop. All lights, dials, even the radio, everything off. After a few seconds, it will either come back on, and everything will work as normal, or it will go into a strange low-power state. If I open my door with the key in ignition, the door light is really dim, and the door-open-with-key-in-ignition pinging sound will not be audible. Trying to start the car will completely draw the power dead, causing the dimly-lit lights on my dash to completely disappear (similar to what happens if your battery is almost dead).
This 'low-power state' can be fixed by one way only. If I move the cables around near the positive terminal of my battery, it will eventually suddenly get power, and then everything resets back to normal. Then I can start the car, and the whining is gone, and everything works as normal. The radio and clock is reset though (as if the battery was disconnected).
The high-pitch sound symptom almost never occurs if I only use the radio.
It sometimes (once every week or two) happens if I use the Air-Conditioning.
It always happens if I plug something into my cigarette lighter.
I can change the loudness of the whine if I move the plug in the cigarette lighter (a charger plug). Pulling it out doesn't stop the whine though. Sometimes it will simply disappear eventually while driving, other times it will go on until I stop, after-which symptom number two appears.
I gave the car to an auto-electrician. He tested the ECU and a few relays and also told me that there's nothing wrong with the battery cables (that I move around to fix the low-power state?!), so didn't replace them. I also tried replacing and testing the battery and the alternator, both were fine.
My current thoughts are to replace the battery cables altogether, as that is the general consensus as to what the issue could be despite the auto-elec's opinion. But the problem seems ground-related, specific to the AC/Radio/Cigarette lighter. But I find it odd that I can fix it via the battery cable.
Any advice? Ideas? I just want some possible causes I can give through to the auto-elec, or try to fix myself, so that I don't waste more money before I have more information.
PS. I might have understood this forum incorrectly, I am not a electrician in training, or an existing one, so if this is only for auto-elec professionals or trainees, then I apologize, and will ask my questions elsewhere.
I want to start to say that I've had this problem for some time now. I've given my car to more than one auto-electrician in an attempt to have it fixed, but they have to date only cost me money with no result because I can't give them enough information on the problem.
My car :
2009 Hyundai Tiburon
102 000 kms on the clock
Serviced at 95000
Battery replaced at 98000 (while the symptoms were already present, was tried as a possible solution)
Here is a description of the symptoms I experience :
1) While driving, I will start to hear an audible high-pitched whine, seemingly coming from the passenger side of my car (near the ECU, but could be below the hood as well, hard to pinpoint). This sound increases in pitch based on my RPM. So increasing my engine's revs also increases the sound's pitch. Initially, this doesn't seem to cause any change in driving condition. However, in certain (very rare, mostly with AC on or with something plugged into cigarette lighter) cases, while driving, my car would suddenly lose all power. Engine, lights, radio, everything. This usually lasts less than a second, after-which the car restarts itself and continues on as if nothing happened. This happens only if I have AC on, or if I have something plugged into the cigarette lighter.
2) Second symptom happens when I stop. If the whining sound was audible while driving, and I stop and turn off the engine(but still have the key in ACC), very often all power will drop. All lights, dials, even the radio, everything off. After a few seconds, it will either come back on, and everything will work as normal, or it will go into a strange low-power state. If I open my door with the key in ignition, the door light is really dim, and the door-open-with-key-in-ignition pinging sound will not be audible. Trying to start the car will completely draw the power dead, causing the dimly-lit lights on my dash to completely disappear (similar to what happens if your battery is almost dead).
This 'low-power state' can be fixed by one way only. If I move the cables around near the positive terminal of my battery, it will eventually suddenly get power, and then everything resets back to normal. Then I can start the car, and the whining is gone, and everything works as normal. The radio and clock is reset though (as if the battery was disconnected).
The high-pitch sound symptom almost never occurs if I only use the radio.
It sometimes (once every week or two) happens if I use the Air-Conditioning.
It always happens if I plug something into my cigarette lighter.
I can change the loudness of the whine if I move the plug in the cigarette lighter (a charger plug). Pulling it out doesn't stop the whine though. Sometimes it will simply disappear eventually while driving, other times it will go on until I stop, after-which symptom number two appears.
I gave the car to an auto-electrician. He tested the ECU and a few relays and also told me that there's nothing wrong with the battery cables (that I move around to fix the low-power state?!), so didn't replace them. I also tried replacing and testing the battery and the alternator, both were fine.
My current thoughts are to replace the battery cables altogether, as that is the general consensus as to what the issue could be despite the auto-elec's opinion. But the problem seems ground-related, specific to the AC/Radio/Cigarette lighter. But I find it odd that I can fix it via the battery cable.
Any advice? Ideas? I just want some possible causes I can give through to the auto-elec, or try to fix myself, so that I don't waste more money before I have more information.
PS. I might have understood this forum incorrectly, I am not a electrician in training, or an existing one, so if this is only for auto-elec professionals or trainees, then I apologize, and will ask my questions elsewhere.
