Ok, guys, really need some help here...My alternator tested bad, replaced the alternator. After the car would sit for a couple of hours, it would not start. I figured it was a bad battery that wasn't holding a charge...the battery tested good...but replaced it anyways twice, still would not start up after the car would sit...
Since I replaced the alternator whenever I have the stereo on I hear the whining of the alternator, regardless of the cd player volume...
So, I'm guessing bad wiring, bad ground, or bad cd player wiring....?? Any ideas??
Voltage issues...
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quiksilvia
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WongFeiHung
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loose belt? check the alternator by popping off the + terminal on the battery while the car is on. If the car dies you've found your culprit. If it keeps goin, could be some live wire grounding. Check for that too.
What happened to me was the - terminal was corroded to crap. So I just made a new - terminal for my car using monster cable 4ga and their terminals and rings which I think were 1/2 inch. Then on top of that, the water pump went, causing the coolant to spill on my alternator, which caused my belt to slip, causing my car to die on the bay bridge. When I found that the second set of electrical woes was to the water pump, got it fixed pronto...after I got a new alternator.
What happened to me was the - terminal was corroded to crap. So I just made a new - terminal for my car using monster cable 4ga and their terminals and rings which I think were 1/2 inch. Then on top of that, the water pump went, causing the coolant to spill on my alternator, which caused my belt to slip, causing my car to die on the bay bridge. When I found that the second set of electrical woes was to the water pump, got it fixed pronto...after I got a new alternator.
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ricebike
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agh, don't pop off the wire to your battery!!!! u can get away w/ this on old carb cars w/out ECU/Ms... don't want a voltage spike to the computer brain or fry out a fuse/fusible link.
just take the vehicle to your local autozone/advance autoparts/etc. for a free charging sys test on the parking lot...
ya, may be a bad reman alternator from the git-go/ loose/old belt...don't they come w/ a limited lifetime warranty now?
just take the vehicle to your local autozone/advance autoparts/etc. for a free charging sys test on the parking lot...
ya, may be a bad reman alternator from the git-go/ loose/old belt...don't they come w/ a limited lifetime warranty now?
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CanadianCoch
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WongFeiHung
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ricebike
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yup, but less than 1 amp... d/t the load of car alarms, & to keep the memory of the clock/radio station settings...etc.
someone else would point out that this is a way to check for "parasitic loads" if drawing too much amps when vehicle is off, u got a wiring problem... i'm still a newbie on electricial
someone else would point out that this is a way to check for "parasitic loads" if drawing too much amps when vehicle is off, u got a wiring problem... i'm still a newbie on electricial
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quiksilvia
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WongFeiHung
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Ok, pulled out every fuse from under the dash, and every fuse and relay from under the hood, except the Alt fuse...Using a test light between the neg post and neg cable, something is still drawing power...
What else could it be?? The only other things I can think of would be an aftermarket stereo system or alarm system....???
What else could it be?? The only other things I can think of would be an aftermarket stereo system or alarm system....???
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quiksilvia
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WongFeiHung
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quiksilvia
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quiksilvia
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WongFeiHung
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WongFeiHung
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Wong, Yes you can just measure the current your electrical system is drawing by placing the current meter in-line with either the positive or negative. If you break the ground connection, you're simply measuring the return current to the battery. If you break the positive side, you'r measuring the output current.(could be backwards, depening on which convention of current flow you subscribe to)
Oh, and make sure _never_ to measure current from positive to negative directly! You will effectively be shorting the battery, and if you'r lucky, you DVM will smoke/melt leads before anything worse. Always break the connection.
HTH,-Jamie
Oh, and make sure _never_ to measure current from positive to negative directly! You will effectively be shorting the battery, and if you'r lucky, you DVM will smoke/melt leads before anything worse. Always break the connection.
HTH,-Jamie