Alternator Belt, ECU, weird noises. Please Help

[badabing33a]

ok a couple days ago, my ECU was ticking like crazy, my talon lost power, and stalled alot upon stops. i adjusted the BISS screw. still ran like crap and ECU still ticked. today, i wake up, try to start the car, battery is dead. charged it for a while, started right up. then it stalled a could seconds later when i gave it gas. wouldnt start. i noticed a weird clicking sound coming from the left rear. Fuel Pump? charged the battery again, started up again. i took it up the road and it hauled a**. No clicking ECU, nothing. i later went to warm the car up to go to the bank, battery was dead again. charged it for a few mins, started it up, ran to the bank. Ran great for about 10 mins. then slowly lost power. Now my Alternator belt screeeeeeams. all 3 pulleys (waterpump, power steering, and alternator) are turning fine. The belt is probably 2 mounths old as the original belt finally snapped a while ago. would this belt cause all these problems? like i stated before my ECU doesnt click anymore. i dont understand why the battery wont stay charged when the car is off. i can drive it as long as i want, and it wont die or anything. please help.

 

[kris_stewart10]

the altenator possibly then or a short in your wiring

 

[steve]

Fix the belt, check the alternator fuse, check the voltage at the battery before starting and while running.
The ECU doesn tick, the MPI relay does and it sounds like it has been because the system voltage has been too low to keep the ECU running.

 

[badabing33a]

ok thanks. ill check it out. what about the clicking in the left rear after the car was turned off?

 

[VETTE_50_TH]

Sounds like the relay for the the automatic seatbelts. Mine did that when my battery was nearly dead. I bet you have a bad alternator or a bad connection to the battery.

James

 

[steve]

The battery connectors is a good point. I keep mine clean so I forget most look like fungus attacked them.

 

[badabing33a]

no my terminals are pretty clean...went to go to the store today, the car wouldnt start again. charged the battery for like 3 mins and it started. but it was cutting out pretty bad. so i didnt go to the store. tomarrow im going to check everything over again.

 

[steve]

Charge your battery overnight on a 10A setting. Tomorrow get those voltage measurements.

 

[VETTE_50_TH]

The voltage measurements are the most important thing for you now. Its starting to sound like a alternator issue similar to mine. I would listen to steve, charge that battery, and find the voltage before and and while the car is running. Then, test what the alternator is putting out as well. You may have a bad ground.

James

 

[badabing33a]

There seems to be alot of problems all of a suddem with our DSM's. Stalling at red lights and stop sighns, low idle, etc. is it because its the time of the year it gets really cold? or just a coincidence?

 

[VETTE_50_TH]

Happens every year. What did you find out?

James

 

[csamn2007]

i have a similar problem. but when the car doesnt start or have any power, i go out the next day and it will start right up. its only when its cold out or has just snowed.

any suggestions?

 

[badabing33a]

it will run when either the battery is charged or its not as cold out. but now it has a check engine light and spits and spudders. i dont have anything to check the voltage either.

 

[VETTE_50_TH]

Get your parents to buy you or buy yourself a craftsman multimeter. Best 20 bucks spent. Then test it.

James

 

[dylnwit]

Charge your battery FULLY (use the 10A setting). Then take it to someplace like Advance Auto and have them test your alternator.

+1 on the multimeter, most useful thing I have bought so far besides my impact driver. Get a good digital one, such as the craftsman mentioned above, and I'd also recommend a cheaper analogue meter (like a Calterm 66420). There's a lot of times where you just need to check for voltage or want to read ecu codes, which the analogue is really good for.

You also said your alternator belt is squealing, meaning the belt is either too loose, or your alternator doesn't want to turn. Take the belt off of it and try to spin it. If it spins easily, then the belt was probably loose, if it's hard to turn, then it's an alternator.

 

[badabing33a]

i went out to the car after the batery charged a while and started it up. i let it warm up a bit so the idle surging could do its thing. now my girl started it up the other night and she swore it cut out on her. i think it was just idle surge and she thought it was cutting out because the car drove fine just now. i think my problem is the battery. the cold weather really takes alot out of batteries and i dont have a duralast . but once the battery charges, it will run and the alternator keeps it running. also, the lights are very dim and the wipers move very slowly. ill get a voltage meter and see what it reads. what should it read anyway?

 

[steve]

It should read between 13.8v and 14.4v at the battery with the engine running.

The fact that the light are dim and the wipers slow pretty much tells us that you will find the voltage to be low once you check. The next test will be to also measure at the B+ stud on the alternator. You'll have to connect the meter and then start the car because you don't want to be sticking you hands down there when the engine is running.

 

[VETTE_50_TH]

It should read between 13.8v and 14.4v at the battery with the engine running.

The fact that the light are dim and the wipers slow pretty much tells us that you will find the voltage to be low once you check. The next test will be to also measure at the B+ stud on the alternator. You'll have to connect the meter and then start the car because you don't want to be sticking you hands down there when the engine is running.

Oh, thats for pu$$ies. I bet your alternator is bad. Sounds like what a alternator will do when its dieing.

James

 

[UGOT8UP]

Replace that battery, if your alt was bad you car would not run when driving down the street, cold weather is HELL on batteries

 

[Colt4G63 also]

Replace the battery! If the alternator was bad, it wouldn't have anything to scream about. It screams because it's trying to charge a discharged battery on a weak ass belt. Our belt system sucks on our cars.

Auto tensioners and six groove belts rule the world. There's a conversion kit I would like to see.

 

[badabing33a]

ok i went bowling tonight (bowling league every tues night). i was going to ride with dad but he left too early and he didnt know the talon had problems. everything was fine till i got about 10 mins from the bowling ally. lights died comepletly but the lights in town helped. i seen a sherrif at a gas station but he didnt do anything. after bowling, i had a guy jump me and charge the battery a bit. same thing happened but quicker. i stopped at a gas station and turned the lights off. then the car sounded fine and the lights got a little better once i turned them on. so i was planning on stopping ever couple miles and turning the lights off. i ended up tucking in behind a car and kept the lights off till a car came by. then i had to turn. despite it being very dark out, i could see fine. but of course i was careful and cops are scarce in my area. anyway, i cant drive with my lights on. doesnt make sence. i am gunna replace the damn squeaky belt and check the volts tomarrow. can advance do it?

 

[VETTE_50_TH]

A bad battery will not kill your lights, a bad connection to the battery and bad alternator will.

James

 

[UGOT8UP]

dont wast that money on the belt that you just replaced a few months ago, just replace the dam battery, I can sit here and give you the theory on how the electrical system works if ya dont belive me ;D

 

[badabing33a]

the belt is only like $30. not to mention it has a 6 month warenty. and if you have time, you should explain how the electrical system works. no matter what, shouldn't the alternator charge the battery enough to have lights? but that battery does barely have any juice. the belt is squeaking for a reason. its probably worn out.

 

[steve]

if you have time, you should explain how the electrical system works. no matter what, shouldn't the alternator charge the battery enough to have lights? but that battery does barely have any juice. the belt is squeaking for a reason. its probably worn out.

This is what the search function here and Google are for. If you don't understand how it works, educate yourself.

Please do what I asked you to do in post #3. Unless you like having the car die on you it's time to solve the problem and that means you have to make some measurements.