Battery?

[numero9]

My 90 Geo Prizm base isn't starting sometimes. It doesn't even click when turning the key. The strange thing is that if I wait about 5 minutes, it starts just fine. That situation went well for a few days, then just today all the electrical things went out while I was driving -- the stereo dropped out, clock reset, etc. -- then it came back on in a few seconds. The car itself was still fine driving though.

Any ideas on if it could be anything else besides the battery? Any good places to get a cheap one? I was reading somewhere around here that the dash lights up for an alternator problem, and I wasn't getting any of that. Otherwise, the car has been running great and getting 36mpg regularly.

[TrailDust]

First thing I'd do is start with the simplest issue: Check your battery connections. Remove the terminal connections to your battery, clean them and the battery terminal posts with a wire brush, then reattach the cables and tighten them snugly. See if that rectifies your problem. If not, proceed from there.

[numero9]

Yeah I did that, actually I think the positive terminal might be coming loose. I screwed it on as tight as I could and it still slides up and down a bit. Any ideas how to fix that?

[REN69]

get a new terminal, that's the only way.

[TrailDust]

Originally Posted by REN69

get a new terminal, that's the only way.

Ditto. Both terminals have got to be clean and tight.