Alternator I THINK...

[95.0Stang]

Hi guys, I am pretty sure I know what this is. I was driving and the headlights and gauges dimmed almost all the way down, and then the gauges quit, and as I pulled into advanced and bummmmm.....car went dead, floated into a parking space, the battery read good but low.

I am about 95% sure its the alternator, anybody else have any ideas?

Thanks,
Jared

 

[cbarr300]

at first glance, I'd say alternator. If you can get the car running I'd check the voltage coming out the alternator

 

[HISSIN50]

While you're at the parts store, have them do a dynamic test on the system. The car should not have died unless the battery was pretty depleted.

 

[94GTLaserRC]

If the battery strong and the alternator takes a dump, you should still have enough juice to get around for a little bit, depending on what you're running....stereo, headlights, etc. I went for 15 minutes one night with all the lights on (had to keep lights on). If the alternator has been wearing down for awhile, the battery would be fairly week when the alt actually dies, and would explain the quick drop in volts and car dying out. Keep us posted.
RC

 

[desertcox05]

the car runs on the alt with the batt for starting and as a backup to the alt if it shoudl die as yours did. i would ck the alt first AZ or ADV. or oriellys or pep boys will be able to ck that for you for free. they can also ck the batt condition too free

 

[95.0Stang]

the car runs on the alt with the batt for starting and as a backup to the alt if it shoudl die as yours did. i would ck the alt first AZ or ADV. or oriellys or pep boys will be able to ck that for you for free. they can also ck the batt condition too free

They tested the battery while it was still in the car by having me rev it to 2000 rpm and hold, and then idle and then around 1000 rpm, they said that at 2000rpm it was normal but at idle it was way low, I know NAPA has one with a 3 year warranty for $140.36, I may end up getting that one instead of the chrome one i wanted. Everything hit me all at once this month with sales tax from buying the car, property tax, repairs on the other car, I have just been paying out for everything and completely depleted my emergency fund...this is kind of depressing.

 

[HISSIN50]

Be careful with chrome alts (future reference). Chrome holds heat and can help cause heat-related alt failures. If needing chrome, a 6G might be a better alternative.

Did they do a loaded test and did your alt suck, even at 2K RPM? If so, you probably dropped a diode.

 

[95.0Stang]

they only tested the battery, went to replace the alternator with a used one I found today as a temp fix until I can get a good aftermarket one and realized they gave me the wrong one, so another day and night goes by and my precious is sitting in a Catholic Church parking lot. I did call the church and explain the situation and they seem ok with it for now but I cant wait to get it out of there...

FOUND ANOTHER ISSUE!!!

A little bit of coolant is sitting just above the water pump kind of in the valley, but only on the front part of the motor, also there was a medium size puddle of coolant just forward and a few inches under the front passenger tire, but still under the car itself, any ideas on what that could be? I am scared to even think about it...

 

[94GTLaserRC]

they only tested the battery, went to replace the alternator with a used one I found today as a temp fix until I can get a good aftermarket one and realized they gave me the wrong one, so another day and night goes by and my precious is sitting in a Catholic Church parking lot. I did call the church and explain the situation and they seem ok with it for now but I cant wait to get it out of there...

FOUND ANOTHER ISSUE!!!

A little bit of coolant is sitting just above the water pump kind of in the valley, but only on the front part of the motor, also there was a medium size puddle of coolant just forward and a few inches under the front passenger tire, but still under the car itself, any ideas on what that could be? I am scared to even think about it...

I will give you the "optimistic Possibilities"

1. Water neck with a slight leak...easy fix.

2. overflow bottle spilled out a little (usually pass side ground)....

These are not the "only possibilities" but the favorable ones.

RC

 

[95.0Stang]

I appreciate you being positive...lets hope its that simple...

 

[95.0Stang]

replaced the alternator and all seems to be better...looked at the coolant again and I think a better description of where its leaking is just under the thermostat housing. I think I will just replace the housing and get a 180deg thermostat, and see what happens.

 

[4Jenna]

For future troubleshooting this may help some if your alternator is suspect, and its simple to do. Although having the alt/batt tested at a parts store is also something I do after I perform this troubleshooting step.

1. Start car (or jump if need be)
2. Remove NEG. battery terminal while car is running

-Car Keeps running your alt is good
-Car dies...time for a new alternator

 

[HISSIN50]

Chris, I wouldn't recommend doing that on an EFI (EEC) car. It worked ok with electronically-sparce cars or with generators, but alt's can create a huge voltage spike when the neg battery cable is removed. This may or may not play nice with electronics in the car.

 

[4Jenna]

I see, learn something everyday!

And to think I have been doing it this way for 10 years