I have a PA Performance alternator on my car and about a couple months ago on occasion while driving my battery light would flicker. I had the stock alternator installed and sent the other one back to PA. They couldn't get the alternator to duplicate the problem so they replaced a couple of things inside the alternator and sent it back to me. I had it re-installed last Thursday and it was fine till Monday morning. I started up my car and my battery light stayed on. I drove it about 100 yards, shut the car off and started it again but it was still on. After driving for about 5 minutes it went off. Upon leaving work that same day, I started the car and the battery light came back on, I pulled out of the parking lot and floored the car and the battery light went off as soon as I stepped on it. Does anyone know what could be the problem? I keep hearing the PA Performance alternators are junk. If that's the case, would it be possible to swap the chrome housing from the PA alternator to my stock one? Thanks.
Aftermarket Alternator Issue...help
- Thread starter BLKsteeda
- Start date
jeffnoel
Founding Member
It sounds like that alternator needs to reach rpm before it turns on. Do you have a volt meter? Check voltage when the light is on and again when light is off and see if there is a difference. I know the 1-wire GM type internally regulated alt I installed on my 302 need to hit 1500-2000 rpms to turn on.
Seraphitia102
will post boobie pics for a supercharger
Do you have a 200amp alternator? I heard that PA Performance's 200amp alternator requires extra cables because the stock setup doesn't support the increased power.
Seraphitia102 said:
I have what they referred to as the basic stock replacement...it's been so long since I purchased it I can't remember but I know I didn't get anything hi output...It's been on the car at least a year without any issues but in the last three months it's been nothing but problems. I'll see if I can find the output amps.
UPDATE: On my way home from work today I tested the RPM theory mentioned above. As soon as I broke 3500rpm the light went off, once the light went off I let off the throttle immediately and once it dropped below 3500 it came back on for about 10 seconds and went off and never came back on for the rest of the drive home...I'll try it again tomorrow and see if it does it again at the same RPM.
Well the RPM theory is no more...that didn't make a difference...I brought throught the entire rpm range the next morning and the light stayed on. PA is starting to tell me it's the regulator and that a couple of 01 cars had a special one installed...but I don't think that could be the case because their alternator was fine in my car for a year with the regulator they used. I just can't understand why the light only comes on when the the car has sat for a long period of time...after 10 mins of driving it goes off and wont come back on till the car has been off for a few hours. 
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