Strange Electrical Problems

Please Help... I have a 2001 996 with 94,000 miles. A few months ago, on a very short 3 mile drive, I noticed that my radio was cutting in and out. I also had a radar detector plugged into the cigarette lighter, and it would reset. This probably happened 4-5 times during the 3 mile drive through a residential neighborhood (~25 MPH). The next day, the car drove fine, and the problem went away... until today. On the way home from work today, going over a railroad track (slowly, but still bumpy), I noticed the radio cut out again. It cuts out but comes right back. Waiting at a stop sign, the car started to stutter, everything seemed to dim, and the car started to kill. Also, the PSM light came on. I pulled away, and the car got back to normal. Later on the drive, the radio kept cutting out again, and I could see the voltmeter fluctuating slightly. Eventually, the radio died, car killed and dash lights were all lit up. I restarted the car, and it has driven fine ever since. I put quite a few miles on it tonight, and the radio stopped cutting out and no more voltage problems of any kind. I don't believe the radio is the problem, I just believe that is the first place I noticed my voltage problems. I checked the battery and connections, and everything seems fine. Has anyone ever heard of this? My fear is that the problems will come back one day and leave me stranded...

Check to see if all your fuses are securly into sockets down by your left foot (left hand drive). They probably are but its a simple check. The fuse that covers the radio may also cover the cig lighter and other things as well. A loose connection somewhere along that circuit may be the problem as well. I have a radar into my cig lighter and it kept coming on and off and resetting as you say. Inside the plug of the radar the weld had come free. I bared it back and wrapped it around the contact and it worked fine since then. That shouldn't effect the radio though. Thats what makes me think it could be a loose fuse covering both radio and cig lighter. Could also be the ignition switch on the blink or a loose wire going into the ignition especially when the car died and all the lights in the cluster came on. The ignition maybe cut out and quickly came back on to light up the cluster warning lights. Did you feel a dip in engine power when the radar and radio was cutting out and back on?. Hey these are guesses on where to check. I don't class myself as a guru with electrical problems on these cars, far from it. An after thought. It may well be the ignition because you say that the radio was still working and the engine cut out. When you switch off the ignition normally the radio should still be going until you open a door. Just throwing a few ideas your way here. Good luck mate

How old is your battery? Search Ignition switch problems. The ign switch is a weak point in these cars. A new one will set you back ~$15 and take ~45 minutes to put in the first time, then about 15 min after that. Audi, Volkswagon Ebay etc. 4A (or B) 090 5849B https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...on-switch.html Switch replacement DIY http://www.renntech.org/forums/tutor...with-pictures/