Alternator?

[jmac72187]

I have some problems and I think for sure that it is my alternator. My car was randomly dieing when i was slowing down and putting my clutch in and I noticed that when shifting sometimes and using some accessories, my lights and headlights were dimming.

Now my battery has died. I think this is because my alternator is **** and was not charging my battery while my car was running.

What do you guys think? I have no way to drive the car to Autozone to get my alternator tested because it is off the road for the winter. But I have been running it so the battery should have charged.

 

[COramprat]

Usually when the alternator goes it goes all at once and the battery will die once it is drained. With what you described a bad alt sounds like your problem. Generally it is the voltage regulator on the alt that goes bad but replacing the whole unit is what most people do. You can take it to a rebuilder but I haven't had much luck with them. The biggest problem is the cheap parts they use to replace bad ones. You can buy a voltage regulator and replace it yourself but you run the risk of inferior parts again. Best thing is to replace with one with a lifetime warrenty.

 

[Fast Eddie 41]

From the way you described your situation, it sounds like your alternator to me as well. Do you have the means to pull your alternator off the car and then go have it tested? They can test them off the car inside the store. It would be a good idea to bring your battery as well in order to test it.... a lot of times a bad battery can be the cause of the alternator going south due to the increased load on the alternator to maintain the battery.

 

[jmac72187]

From the way you described your situation, it sounds like your alternator to me as well. Do you have the means to pull your alternator off the car and then go have it tested? They can test them off the car inside the store. It would be a good idea to bring your battery as well in order to test it.... a lot of times a bad battery can be the cause of the alternator going south due to the increased load on the alternator to maintain the battery.

I could pull it off if I needed. I have made arrangements to buy a used one that came off a 30,000 mile GT. The guy built up the GT and had tons of stock parts from it including the engine. I can get it used for $50.

I could pull it off and bring it because I am not driving it in the winter. But I am not really mechanically knowledgeable. I just started getting into working on my own car because I want to learn. Could I just pull it off easily?

I did the battery test where you let the car run and unhook the battery. It kept running without the battery, but it studdered whenever I turned any accessories on and then almsot died.

 

[4.6andSlicks]

If you have a DC volt meter or know someone with one you can do the following to check your alternator. Shut off all accessories, start the engine and measure the DC voltage across the battery terminals. A good alternator will give you about 14 volts. Don't be concerned with the exact number but it should be at least above 13.5.