alternator/wiring problem

ECU, Wiring, Sensors
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alternator/wiring problem

By TrailerTrash
- Sat Sep 14, 2013 6:45 pm #336679 I never had any problems like this before with the car at all

so while doing the body work on my coupe it pretty much sat and didnt get driven for a few months. then it would only get driven a few times here and there and the battery went bad. at least i think so. it wouldnt hold a charge at all.i assumed it went back from pretty much never getting used for 8 months even though its only 2 years old

no battery light the entire time. but it just wouldnt hold a charge

so i get a new battery and put it in today and started it up. battery light is on i get out while its running to check the terminals and alternator plug and i smell something hot i reach down to feel the alternator "out" cable(not the plug) and its hot hot hot it burned my finger. so right away i shut the car off.

the cable was just barley hanging on my a few strands of wire and nut was all rusty. so i replace the connector with a new one and put a good washer and nut on

started the car fired right up but the battery light is still on. terminal is no longer hot on the alternator and nothing smells hot at all. so im thinking its the alternator thats bad because when its running and i unhook the hot cable off the battery the dash lights get very bright and the car spits and sputters like crazy. hook the battery back up and it runs fine

im really hoping the alternator is bad that would make me so happy if thats all the problem was and nothing else bad is happening.

before i go through the trouble of swapping the alternators and trying it again I want you're opinions.

maybe if the alternator had nowhere to run the electricity it fried itself? and my battery isnt actually bad it was just not getting charged by the car? i didnt actually try to charge it with a charger? hopefully! :lol:
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By JUICE
- Sat Sep 14, 2013 6:51 pm #336680 I'd say limp it to a parts jockey shop and have them test it. Sounds like the alts taking a dump though, especially if its the original.
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By TrailerTrash
- Sat Sep 14, 2013 6:54 pm #336681 nearest place is 14 miles away and im not driving it till i know it wont catch fire :lol:

it looks pretty old and its an imported motor so id bet money its the original.
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By JUICE
- Sat Sep 14, 2013 7:02 pm #336682 Pretty sure most parts stores can bench test an alternator. They got a machine they can hook it up to that will spin it.
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By teal_dx
- Sun Sep 15, 2013 12:25 am #336691
JUICE wrote:Pretty sure most parts stores can bench test an alternator. They got a machine they can hook it up to that will spin it.


Yep! Get to the 'zone, they can check it.
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By TrailerTrash
- Sun Sep 15, 2013 4:28 pm #336719 cool ill have to get to that next weekend!
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By Uknterror
- Sun Sep 15, 2013 9:02 pm #336725 Don't you DARE go to AutoZone! :x

But in all seriousness whoever you go to make sure you look at what the machine is saying. I've had multiple customers coming from AutoZone not only falsely saying it's good or bad but charging for free service as well!

Btw you're supposed to unhook the negative when doing that trick. If the alternator is bad enough the car will die as soon as the terminal is loose.
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By TrailerTrash
- Mon Sep 16, 2013 3:13 am #336741 im actually just going to swap the alternator for the good one i have. its alot easier and saves me a 30 mile round trip to a parts store.

ive always unhooked the positive for the trick but couldnt it work either way?

last year i had a bad ground problem and i unhooked first the positive terminal then both(to test the alternator) and it didnt make a difference either way and it didnt cause the lights to get bright or the car to run bad at that time like it does now nor did it cause the battery light to come on
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By TrailerTrash
- Fri Sep 27, 2013 9:08 pm #337108 swapped alternators and the problem is gone!

now when i unhook the battery nothing changes at all and no battery light

my first D series alternator change and it was a piece of cake. ive read that its a bitch and even the Haynes manual says about removing the brackets to get it out but i had no problems.

it was actually kinda stuck in the bottom bracket so i tapped it with a hammer and it broke free and fell out of the car onto the floor 2 inches from my head :lol:

By rustyrex
- Sat Sep 28, 2013 1:27 am #337111
Uknterror wrote:Don't you DARE go to AutoZone! :x

But in all seriousness whoever you go to make sure you look at what the machine is saying. I've had multiple customers coming from AutoZone not only falsely saying it's good or bad but charging for free service as well!

Btw you're supposed to unhook the negative when doing that trick. If the alternator is bad enough the car will die as soon as the terminal is loose.


If any of your customers are ignorant enough to pay for a free service when signs are on every AutoZone they deserve to get ripped off. Have them call corporate in Tennessee and complain. They will get a gift card. I was a manager at a zone for 5 years.
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By suspendedHatch
- Sun Sep 29, 2013 5:21 pm #337135
TrailerTrash wrote:it was actually kinda stuck in the bottom bracket so i tapped it with a hammer and it broke free and fell out of the car onto the floor 2 inches from my head :lol:


Fell out where? There's a crossmember and axle beneath it and the block and firewall surrounding it.

I fucking love AutoZone but you have to find a good one. I have their membership and it's like every 5th visit I get $20 off. With all the cars I work on, over the course of the year it adds up to a couple hundred bucks.
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By TrailerTrash
- Sun Sep 29, 2013 7:15 pm #337142 it fell out between the steering rack and the axle. i guess right where a power steering rack would be?
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By suspendedHatch
- Tue Oct 01, 2013 7:22 pm #337213 Ah. No power steering. Yeah, plenty of room in that case.
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