Stagea Intermittent Electrical Problem

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Good morning fellows

Car is 1997 Stagea 208000 ODO km's more likely 300000 km's

Over the last year my car has been starting weird but i put it down to a sticky starter solenoid, i turn the key to start it would take a few on and offs or just hold it in start and after a few or 10-15 seconds it would fire.

Last week the starter began struggling to start the car, it had a VL RB30 one in it that was cheap (now 100000km's old) so i chucked i second hand RB25 one in it and still had the same problems. A new battery seems to have fixed the starting problems as it now starts consistently strongly all the time (but still with the pause of varying seconds before it fires).

Now i'm having a problem where the power will cut out while driving first to the stereo and clock. Intermittently it will run rough, the clock goes dim, stereo goes off and comes back on again without either resetting their presets. I can make the stereo and clock happen regularly by driving around and turning my headlights on and off, after about 10 times the stereo cuts out as i think that's the first thing to respond to the drop in power. The rough running and engine shutting down i cant replicate just the clock and stereo.

After going round the block doing this i went to lock the car with the remote central locking and it wouldn't so chucked the key in the ignition and no power, took the battery leads off to inspect and put them back on and back to normal power and strong start.

The battery is new so tests fine with the multi meter at 12.9 Volts

Alternator tests at 13.8 - 13.9 with running so going by google that is fairly normal

There is a small crack up to half way in the negative terminal clamp for the battery unsure if significant? i wrapped it in foil to cover the crack (LOL) and it has made no difference

I was thinking it could be the ignition barrel as i'm driving when the engine cuts out, the stereo cuts out along with the digital clock in the middle of the dash. All the accessory lights are then on obviously because the engine has shut off and the key is still sitting in accessory. The only reason i doubt this is the power cutting out while the car is stationary and off, also if i jiggle the key (fairly violently) when it's running i cant get it to do anything.

I did the timing belt & water pump 2000k's ago and when it's running normally it runs great, smooth, good power etc (intermittent miss at idle never been a problem though?). I have no idea when it comes to electrics so hopefully someone here can point out my stupidity or it's auto leccy and ass rapage time!

Thanks in advance

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To make things more confusing it drove flawlessly this morning on my 30 minute commute

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Battery might be good, but definitely investigate the ageing wiring terminals. You can buy beefier replacement terminals from supercheap.

This wiring diagram might help.

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I will replace them then as they are cheap! Thanks for the help mate

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Replaced negative terminal and problems solved!No pausing on start up either! Nailed it zoomzoom