Replaced Alternator Car still loses power

[saulo_mejia]

Hey whats up everyone! Ben doing alot of reading here the past couple months but finally registered.

So pretty much the car ive been driving ( 1990 Z32 ) alternator had gone, the battery would not hold a charge and kept losing power, even after jumping it the car would die minuets later.

Ended up replacing the alternator with hopes that that was the problem. but soon after driving around again the cars interior lights started dimming out, anti lock brake light went on till finally the car lost power.

after changing the alternator i did use a voltmeter to determine that the battery was at 14.4 volts but eventually as i drove it the battery kept loses power till it went down to 8 volts with car barely running.

Spent most of the day replacing the alternator but will have to check otr possibilities, battery terminals and fuses.

the belt does squek a bit but goes away after few seconds. ill go at it again tmrw. tighten it and dbl check everything else.

If anyone can provide some tips and tricks that would be great! I look forward to be part of this community and contribute as well. Thank you!

[ThisIsSparTTa]

Have you had your battery tested at the auto store? If it can't hold a charge your car won't run. Otherwise, have you bypassed any fuses or done anything sketchy? Maybe you have a bad drain somewhere.

[saulo_mejia]

The battery charges fine. after checking everything it looks like the alternator doesn't kick in right away. takes about 30-40 seconds for it to start supplying power. after running for a awhile at night I can see the light interior lights and outside lights flickering.

I used a charging uni to determine when the alternator is being used. After starting it , car runs off battery at 12v the will go to 14.4 volts.

im guessing I couldve gotten a bad alternator. It a PITA to change but will hav to do again.
Also there was an external piece kinda looks like a capacitor that was on the old alternator but not on the new one, not sure if that effects it in any way. Ill have to go at it again this weekend. Thanks again

[ZL8NING]

Feel your pain, bro! I've been down that road! A month ago, I took my alternator off and replaced the brushes on it. Took a long time since it was the first time. Put it back on, and it didn't work! ! I ordered a rebuild from eBay for $90 shipped, but I was demoralized about doing the job again. So I rode the bicycle to work for 2 months I was so frustrated.

Last week it got so cold, I got motivated to fix the car. I had gone to o'reilly's and had the alternator tested, and passed the test. I installed it Monday evening, and boy am I glad it's finally done!

I suggest you make sure the one you are going to install is tested by your local parts store, which they do for free. Get yourself some universal-joint sockets, the 12mm and the 17mm, and the very long extension for your 3/8 ratchet drive. Makes taking out the mounting bolt and the tensioner bracket bolt a breeze! This way you can reach them from under the lower radiator hose!

Good luck!

[ThisIsSparTTa]

That external capacitor is the voltage regulator. On some cars its external, but for our alternators, its a part of of the alternator itself. If you got an aftermarket without one, that would be a huge issue. It shouldn't take any time to kick in. There is no clutch like the AC. If its spinning, its making power. Something else is wrong there.

[saulo_mejia]

Ended up taking the alternator out. When i went to get the replacement, i realized that the new alternator spun a lot more freely than the one I had to swap out. Won't be able to put back in till later this weekend. The replacement I got is a remanufactured Nissan alternator so hopefully this time it works. Neither came with the external regulator ( maybe remanufactured have the installed already? ) thanks again! Keep y'all posted!

[saulo_mejia]

Woke up dead a** early to put the alternator in before heading to work. Got it done! No squeaks and runs 14.4 volts charging with load on 14.4 ! Definitely running great now. As much of a pain it was just reading the responses motivated me to get it done! Thanks again!

[ThisIsSparTTa]

Congrats!