Battery disconnect/reconnect while cranking.

[VPCalais38]

Hi
My VP Calais has a strange problem involving the Security system (I think).
When I crank the motor over the indicators flash (Same as when you use the remote to unlock/lock the car) very quickly on and off. The Security light on the dash does the same thing. The car isnt starting obviously.
I cleaned both battery terminals and clamps up really well with a wire brush and some sandpaper but that didnt sort the problem. It does the same thing with the Security system turned off or on.
Checked all wiring to the starter and all other wires I can get to from inside the engine bay.
Anyone had a similar problem?

I replaced a pushrod not so long ago (Snapped at 190km/h on a long stretch of road) and it has been doing it a couple of times before it starts before today (The flashing security light and indicators), but never this bad.
I am thinking it has to be a loose connection somewhere but I am blowed if I can find it.
Anyone know what else could be causing this?

Thanks in advance for any help.
Here is a pic of the pushrod if anyone is interested. Rusty from floating around my toolbox for months.

[vn2nv]

Snapped a pushrod at 190km/h! Must have scared you out of your pants.

[VN-88]

hmmm sounds like ur imobiliser is staying on, have u tried d/c ur imobilser from the alarm unit, maybe just cut the wires and if that dont help re solder them, or were ever the imobliser connects tot the starter wire try un doing there

[brad_m_is]

hey my vp calais has done exactly what u said once when i listened 2 the stereo 4 ages without the car running. the battery was just 2 flat 2 kick the car ova without loosing power 2 the security system. give a nother battey a go if u havent tried it already!!!

Cheers

[VPCalais38]

Well it was the battery. Should have been the first thing I checked but as it isnt a very old Battery I thought it would be fine. The cells were exposed out of the water and so the battery is cactus.
Thanks for the replies.

As for the pushrod snapping at 190. The car just made a popping sound with the throttle on wide open at that speed. Soon as I backed off and put my foot into it it was backfiring into the intake manifold. Exhaust pushrod is one that snapped.

Had the head checked and the valve etc was fine. Only thing I can think is the lifter failed and the pushrod dropped out of the cup on the rocker and jammed against the rocker post, and when the cam tried to push the pushrod up it bent and snapped.

Replaced both the lifter and pushrod and its been fine ever since.

[jaguar0817]

just a slim possibility, check hat the starter motor power wire is connected they are quite common for comming off. i found out this problem after spending $120 on a new battery

[VPCalais38]

Snapped a pushrod at 190km/h! Must have scared you out of your pants.

Hehe. Actually with foot flat to the floor there was no bang or hideous noise just this "popping" sound started suddenly. I backed off the throttle and it was ok if you were just cruising along, but as soon as you gave it throttle it would start popping again.
The exhaust pushrod is the one that snapped so the fuel and air was going into the cylinder and being fired, but the exhaust wasnt opening to let the burning gas out. So when the inlet opened again it was backfiring into the intake manifold and making the car hesitate whenever it backfired. Car lost most of its power but it got me the 40km's to home (noisily and with a lot of people staring I must admit :P ).

Burnt the pintle cap off the injector on that cylinder (never found it so guessing it got eaten by the engine). There was just a small bit of melted plastic left on the injector tip.

Currently hunting down a VN-VP V8 donor car to do a transplant as the V6 has done 302,000K's and things are starting to go wrong with it. Still punchy as and doesnt use oil or anything, but its getting valvetrain noise pretty badly now and the harmonic balancer just threw the rubber insert.