Engine Stall / Loss of power

[AnthonyB]

2013 Sonic MT

Recently (approximately 2-3 weeks ago) my wife noticed the battery light on the display randomly turning on and off. I decided to take her car to work to see if I could replicate the issue on the display, which I did, and a new issue (or something related) began. I downshifted to stop at a stopsign and the car lost complete power. It turned off for approximately 2-3 seconds and then turned back on. I drove home (approximately 5 miles) with no other issues aside from the battery light flipping on and off.

Today I was on my way home and the same issue as above happened, except the car would NOT start back on its own. I attempted to turn the car over, and the battery was dead (clicking while not turning over). I had to jump the car 3 times in half a mile.

I got home and parked the car, left it running for over an hour with no stall and no lights coming on.



Things I have done:

Had both the battery and alternator tested at two different stores, all of them exceeding the minimum required.

Checked and tightened all terminals and wires coming off and going to the battery.

Chevy is telling me I need to have it rediagnosed (just had recalls fixed a few months ago, which included display and the cracked air)



Im at loss, as I am not exceptionally mechanically inclined, and this car was JUST in the damn shop. Any ideas and help greatly appreciated.

 

[mja]

Charging issues on these cars, or many new cars, may be hard to fix without some proper diagnostic tools. The ECU/computer controls the voltage regulation, and many of the wires depend on a specific voltage reading or resistance. You've done the right procedure - alt & batt. Time to take it to dealer.

 

[Ponchoguy]

2013 Sonic MT

Recently (approximately 2-3 weeks ago) my wife noticed the battery light on the display randomly turning on and off. I decided to take her car to work to see if I could replicate the issue on the display, which I did, and a new issue (or something related) began. I downshifted to stop at a stopsign and the car lost complete power. It turned off for approximately 2-3 seconds and then turned back on. I drove home (approximately 5 miles) with no other issues aside from the battery light flipping on and off.

Today I was on my way home and the same issue as above happened, except the car would NOT start back on its own. I attempted to turn the car over, and the battery was dead (clicking while not turning over). I had to jump the car 3 times in half a mile.

I got home and parked the car, left it running for over an hour with no stall and no lights coming on.



Things I have done:

Had both the battery and alternator tested at two different stores, all of them exceeding the minimum required.

Checked and tightened all terminals and wires coming off and going to the battery.

Chevy is telling me I need to have it rediagnosed (just had recalls fixed a few months ago, which included display and the cracked air)



Im at loss, as I am not exceptionally mechanically inclined, and this car was JUST in the damn shop. Any ideas and help greatly appreciated.

Was a proper load test done? Not all of the stores do the right type of load test. I did a load test on the battery on my Sonic (the original) and passed the first time and then failed like a rock when I did it within the 5 minute time specified by the test. GM (according to some reports) put a undersized battery in the Sonic and the replacement Delco (and other brands) exceed the original battery (as is often the case with replacement batteries).