Help: Alternator?

93emeraldGS · Post by **93emeraldGS** » September 29th, 2005, 5:41 pm

i've gone through 2 New batteries, and i've only started the car about 3 times each time(with the new battery) and each time after that the battery is dead and the car won't start...but once the battery is replaced it starts perfect...would that be the alternator or?

relisys_3200 · Post by **relisys_3200** » September 29th, 2005, 5:52 pm

when you start the car do you drive around with it like that, or just start it? It does sound like its your alternator. If it is, your 'charge' light should be on in the car...is it?

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » September 29th, 2005, 6:06 pm

relisys_3200 wrote:when you start the car do you drive around with it like that, or just start it? It does sound like its your alternator. If it is, your 'charge' light should be on in the car...is it?

If he wasn't driving around with it like that, and just starting the car and turn it off, I'd hope he could start the car 50 or 60 times before the battery died. If the alternator's broke, and you drive around like that for a while, then all the distributor and other electrical current is slowly draining your battery, with no alternator to recahrge it.

relisys_3200 · Post by **relisys_3200** » September 29th, 2005, 6:22 pm

lakersfan1 wrote:
relisys_3200 wrote:when you start the car do you drive around with it like that, or just start it? It does sound like its your alternator. If it is, your 'charge' light should be on in the car...is it?
If he wasn't driving around with it like that, and just starting the car and turn it off, I'd hope he could start the car 50 or 60 times before the battery died. If the alternator's broke, and you drive around like that for a while, then all the distributor and other electrical current is slowly draining your battery, with no alternator to recahrge it.

^^ I know thats what I'm saying. When I got my orbital purple haze battery my alternator was also getting re-done and they said the battery would give about 10 hours of use without any charging system. I'm asking if he was driving around with it like that because I dont know why anyone would if their charge light was on the whole time or flickering

93emeraldGS · Post by **93emeraldGS** » October 6th, 2005, 2:00 am

relisys_3200 wrote:when you start the car do you drive around with it like that, or just start it? It does sound like its your alternator. If it is, your 'charge' light should be on in the car...is it?

sorry for the late reply but yes i did drive it around each time i started it...just drove it just around a block no more..so say about a 2min drive give or take....can the alternator kill the battery that quick?...as for the "charge" light...there is no lights on the dash of any errors that came on while i was driving or atleast i didnt noticed any(besides i didnt know there was a charge light) hehe

and thx for the feedback appreciate it

Grants · Post by **Grants** » October 6th, 2005, 2:06 am

Can you start it up and put a voltmeter on the battery and let us know what the readings are? Hold it about 1500 rpm and we'll have a much better idea.

93emeraldGS · Post by **93emeraldGS** » October 9th, 2005, 1:06 am

Grants wrote:Can you start it up and put a voltmeter on the battery and let us know what the readings are? Hold it about 1500 rpm and we'll have a much better idea.

umm i dont have a voltmeter...is there any other suggestions? ..i just picked up my new battery again for the 3 time and they wont warrant me any more cause they feel its my car(alternator maybe)...what can cause a new battery to die so quick? besides alternator?...or is it only the alternator that can kill a battery?...i know i didnt leave the head lights on so lets rule that out..hehe

93emeraldGS · Post by **93emeraldGS** » January 31st, 2006, 10:20 am

sorry been away too long and still have the problem as stated anyone with any more suggestions

thx

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » January 31st, 2006, 10:45 am

It's either the alternator or bad grounds for the block or battery or both.

Nd4SpdSe · Post by **Nd4SpdSe** » January 31st, 2006, 10:53 am

When I changed my battery, i had this habbit of not connecting the terminals properly, it would start and run the car, but it wouldn't recharge. Of course I didn't get a charge light cause the alternator was working fine, it just wasn't giving power to the battery. I had enough for a few cranks and that was it.

Here are my thoughts
- If it was the alternator that was defective, the charge light on the dash would, er *should* be on.
- As grant suggested, do a volt meter test. Put the leads on the battery terminals (don't touch the conections, just the battery terminals) and you should get about 13-14v. That will indicate if it's charging or not

fieromx3 · Post by **fieromx3** » January 31st, 2006, 12:20 pm

well if its not alternator it could be a voltage regualator if its not built in the alternator, if its not that then maybe u have the problem i had with my stanza its VERY rare and i highly doubt it but maybe the wiring in your car is crap mine crapped out, wires were defective replaced them all and car ran beautifully all the way up until it died on a busy street and got towed lol

MOSES · Post by **MOSES** » January 31st, 2006, 9:28 pm

our altenators have the regulaters built in.
if you can, start the car and quickly drive it to the shop, get them to do a "load test" on the electrical system while the car is running, they will be able to tell you exaclty whats wrong, they wont charge you much, and the problem WILL be diagnosed.

93emeraldGS · Post by **93emeraldGS** » January 31st, 2006, 11:03 pm

Nd4SpdSe wrote:When I changed my battery, i had this habbit of not connecting the terminals properly, it would start and run the car, but it wouldn't recharge. Of course I didn't get a charge light cause the alternator was working fine, it just wasn't giving power to the battery. I had enough for a few cranks and that was it.

Here are my thoughts
- If it was the alternator that was defective, the charge light on the dash would, er *should* be on.
- As grant suggested, do a volt meter test. Put the leads on the battery terminals (don't touch the conections, just the battery terminals) and you should get about 13-14v. That will indicate if it's charging or not

so if it reads 13-14 that is a good sign or?

thx again for the help

93emeraldGS · Post by **93emeraldGS** » January 31st, 2006, 11:04 pm

lakersfan1 wrote:It's either the alternator or bad grounds for the block or battery or both.

how can i tell if those are the simptoms?

thx again

93emeraldGS · Post by **93emeraldGS** » January 31st, 2006, 11:05 pm

MOSES wrote:our altenators have the regulaters built in.
if you can, start the car and quickly drive it to the shop, get them to do a "load test" on the electrical system while the car is running, they will be able to tell you exaclty whats wrong, they wont charge you much, and the problem WILL be diagnosed.

so if i get a chance to drive to the shop get them to do a "load test" and that could give me the answers to my prayers?

appreicate ur help