2006 Chevrolet Impala SS problem... PLEASE HELP!!?

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Markus

Member
I'm having a recent issue with my 2006 Chevy Impala SS. About 50% of the time it will cut all power once i switch the engine off. The radio won't stay on..all power door locks disabled..etc. Sometimes it also locks the key in place until it randomly decides to power back on (takes anywhere from 2-10 min for this to occur). When the power does come back, everything must be reprogrammed. All the radio stuff, time, date, etc. As well as the compass must be re-calibrated..which is a pain to have to drive in circles sometimes twice a day. Is this common? Any idea what I could be dealing with here?
 
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michael

Active member
This could be a headache to hunt down, but the top suspect is the easiest to check. I think the battery has a cracked connection inside it. That typically shows up as intermittent loss of power. The definitive test is to measure the voltage at the battery posts (not the clamps, but the posts that actually come out of the battery) when it is without power. If the voltage is very low (like under 11 volts) and begins to climb so the engine can be started the battery is bad, I guarantee, even though every parts guy in the world is likely to insist it tests good - which they almost always do. You can do the test yourself with a digital voltmeter, available at auto parts stores, hardware stores, and Radio shack, often for under $20 in the cheapest form (Harbor Freight was recently advertising them for $2.99!). A DVM is a great thing to have around. It will tell you for certain whether your battery is charging, will read the voltage drop across bad battery connections, and a zillion other uses in the car and around the house.
 
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Laura

Member
id advise checking the battery cables if they are loose or have battery acid corrosion (white grainy like substance) around the connectors it would cause an instable connection. If its not that then its probably the wiring
 
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