What does it mean when a car's battery light turns on while the car is moving (eventually car decelerates and stops)?
The alternator is failing or has ceased functioning. Whereas the engine's torque is usually giving your car constant electricity using the alternator, when it fails to do so the battery's reserved power is then used. Usually the battery is only used to start the vehicle. It obviously has enough power to spark the plugs, but only for so long, especially if you are also running your radio, A/C, headlights, etc. Once the battery is dead, the car is dead.This happened to me more than once. The alternator has a finite life in every car, so there comes a time when it will die, and it will almost certainly not be at the most opportune moment. Recognize signs of this happening before it is too late. Mine was failing for months before it inevitably gave in and I finally figured out what was wrong. A similar issue is if your serpentine belt snaps, the engine is no longer running your alternator, whether it's in good shape or not. This will cause more issues than the car just dying in five minutes- the water pump will cease functioning to cool your engine down and you will eventually overheat it and perhaps irreparably damage the vehicle.There are possibly other things that can cause this issue but this seems by and large the most likely.
Security light is on in my chevy cavalier wont start?
security has been tripped and the computer won't allow the engine to start. If you have installed an after market radio, stereo, or CD player, etc, then you have created a real problem. In later model GM products this is a problem, and probably others as well. Security is tied into the factory stereo. So you may need to get an adapter, or you may have to re-install the original radio to get it running. If the above is not the case, you are going to have to have it taken into a shop for repairs. It will never start until the security issue is resolved.
Disabling a 2000 Chevy Cavalier's Theft System?
An anti-theft fuse? really? Hah, wow. Don't comment if you don't know the answer. ==== If the light is blinking obviously its in theft mode. When the passlock system detects an error it cuts off fuel delivery - thus why it will not start. Here is a "quick relearn" that might work. Step 1 - Put the key in ignition and turn it to the on positin let it sit on the on position for 10 minutes (after 10 min the theft light should stop being illuminated) Step 2 - cycle the key off, then back on to the on position. Let sit another 10 minutes, and once the light goes out.. step 3 - cycle the key off, then back on to the on position. let sit another 10 minutes and once the light goes out. try to start it. That is a "quick" relearn. If that does not work it will need to either have the theft detterent sensor replaced (inside the lock cylinder) or a full reset procedure done via the dealership. Goodluck! And when you try the "quick" relearn try using a key you have had for a while! If it works, then do the following to relearn any more keys. Start the car with the key you just "quick" learned, turn it off, then put in whatever other key you want to program immediately after and start the engine. That should then program the 2nd key.
Is it still possible to hotwire a modern car?
No.“Hotwiring” is where you bypass the ignition lock/switch mechanism and simply join up a series of wires to start the car. The “security” is the ignition lock and nothing else.When a key is typically turned in the lock, all it does is turn a cirular switch pack which joins up the correct wires to complete connections.Hotwiring is connecting the wires by hand, it sounds technical and complicated, the reality is very much different.However, since the early 90’s in America and ’93 in Europe, cars have had passive immobilisers fitted whereby there is a reader around the ignition barrel that looks for a signal from a chip in the key, no chip, no signal, no start.And its very difficult to bypass if you’ve only got 2 minutes to steal the car, as the lack of signal means the ECU shuts down various parts of the system like power to the sparkplugs, power to the crank sensor, power to the fuel pump.However, earlier systems could be beaten quite easily by doing one of two things.Either fit a “performance” chip to the ECU system such as a Superchips type. This replaces the main chip in the ECU for one with supposed better fuelling maps and raised rev limits, but also, has no security anymore which renders the immobiliser system inert.The other way is to goto a junkyard, and remove the ECU, reader and chip from a car, and simply swap them all over into the one you want to steal, it can take time, but it can all be done noiselessly, once done, you can then break the ignition lock, rip off the ignition switch, hold your replacement chip by the reader and use a screwdriver to turn the ignition switch and the replacement set will start the car.But hotwiring in the conventional sense on modern cars is dead, however thieves are now stealing modern prestige cars QUICKER than they could the older stuff because technology is modern cars undoing.
Why do the dash lights in my car (and the lights for the clock, radio, etc.) dim when I turn on my headlights?
You are right that the dash lighting dims when headlights are on in order to enhance night vision. But every car I’ve driven has had a way to adjust the brightness of the dash lighting, since it varies by personal preference and whether you are using the headlights during the day, at night on a lighted street or on an unlighted road. Until recently most cars had a relay switch that you pulled out about 2 inches to turn on the headlights, and the knob rotated to adjust the dash lighting. Today cars have rocker switches on the dash or a knob to twist on the turn signal. So they have a separate knob or wheel to adjust the dash lighting located somewhere on the dash, often down low and obscurely marked. Look around for it.