Chrysler Repair: 99 chrysler LHS wont start, loss of electic power, 99 chrysler lhs, chrysler lhs

Question
I hope that you can help us!  We have a  99 Chrysler LHS that's had problems
lately. Last week my husband was
driving it to work and it lost power twice on the way there.  He was able to
restart, make it to work, and when he left at the end of the day it was fine
again.  No problems at all for several days, then this morning it woulnd't start
at all.  He says that the hazards won't even turn on.  He thinks it's an electrical short of some kind.  Of note might be that the initial incident happened after filling up with gas.  Last night he filled up again and noticed the interior lighting was very bright when he started the car, and the lights did a flicker thing.  Then this morning it wouldn't start.   Any advise on what's going on would be greatly appreciated!  I've searched the internet and can't really find a similar question.  Thanks!

Answer
Hi Christa,
There are two main possibilities:
The battery circuit is flakey or there is a short that is discharging the battery. I would begin by checking that the clamps for the - and + posts at the battery are clean and tightly connected. First remove and shine up the - clamp and post, then remove and shine up + clamp and post, then reconnect the + clamp, and finally reconnect the - clamp. It would be good to have on hand a small tube of anti-corrosion battey clamp compound to smear on the posts and inner surface of the clamps after they are shined up as this will ensure longer trouble free connection at the interfaces.
Then I would note that there are two black wires attached to the - post clamp and that one of these goes to the front of the engine, on the cylinder head of the left side (drivers side) and the other goes to the frame rail below the battery and adjacent to the inner fender shield on the driver side of the car. Check that the bolt that holds each of these wires is tight after you first disconnect each bolt and polish the grommet on the end of the wire and the surface metal interface to which it it bolted. Then see if the emergency flashers will work or not. If not, then I believe that you battery is discharged, but you could meaure that with a voltmeter between the posts which should read more that 12.4 volts. If not, then get the battery charged at a service station or parts store and retry. If it appears that the battery is running down quickly, then you need a volt-ohmmeter to measure the resistive draw on the + clamp after it is removed from the battery post. Just measure the ohms between the clamp and any shiney body metal surface. It should be more than 10 ohms when all the doors are closed and light switches turner off. If not then you have to remove one fuse at a time from the power distribution center box that is under the hood (behind the battery at the inner fender) and then observe for a significant increase in the resistance reading, then replace the fuse if there is no significant increase or note the fuse letter of any fuse that when removed causes the resistance to change significantly and then replace it too. Then contact me with the results of those resistance increase fuse i.d.'s and I can tell you some fuse locations under the dash to carry the analysis further to find the short circuit/faulty component.
I don't know what to make of the brighter light level situation unless the motor was running at the time and the voltage regulation function of the engine controller-generator system has developed a flaw.
But let me know of any progress that you make.
Roland