Battery light intermittent after head gasket replacement.

[grendels_arm]

OK took car into dealer (who I trust because I've always had good service with them) to have the head gasket replaced. Drove fine no problems. Two days later I started car from parking garage after work, turned on headlights and exited garage and got to a stoplight. Not sure if AC was on. Then the battery light comes on. It starts pulsating. I got home and shut it off and then restarted and light stays off. Drive somewhere (90 miles away had to go somewhere) go in place for about an hour come back out and same thing. This time I didn't have my lights on. Can't remember if AC was on. I shut off car and back on and no light. Anyway didn't happen overnight or anything like that.

Took it to dealer. Dealer didn't see light come on but said when alternator is under load with headlight on, AC on then the alternator is only putting out 10AMPs. Below what it should be according to mechanic. Anyway I'm gonna take it to dealer to be replaced. I know the dealer isn't trying to make money off me as the service guy has offered to not charge me for labor (like I said good service) since I just paid for alot of work on the car.

Anyway should I take it to autozone or someplace for a second opinion. I have to remove from car correct?

 

[BCESI]

yep, I'd say your alternator is fried...usually when the battery light starts blinking it's a sign of a faulty alternator. I'd just get the dealership to do it if you don't feel confident doing it yourself

 

[Gatosport]

did you check your alternator belt? it could be loose

 

[grendels_arm]

Well on Saturday, day after dealer told me alternator was flakey and they getting one for me and then installing on Monday, I was driving the car. Light came on again. Went the gas station and the car wouldn't start back up. Service guy helps me with a booster just to start car so I can get home. Checks and says "yep alternator bad". Well I charged up the battery overnight figuring I wouldn't drive it Sunday and then I could make it to my dealer Monday morning. Charged it up, put it in car and it started Sunday morning for church. Decided after church to take battery out of car before restarting and take it local auto parts store for free battery test. They said the battery was fine and they didn't need to charge since it was fully charged. So put it back in car. Well as soon as I opened the car door there was NO door open light. I knew car wouldn't start. It didn't. Dead. Knew something was amiss. The door open light came on all of a sudden then after trying to start died. Told my dad to move positive battery cable. Bingo door open light flickered big time. I had noticed the positive battery cable although not loose could be turned and probably pulled off if you really tryed. So we disconnected cable and viola. The positive wire has an inner sleeve to it. My dad took that off of the cable connector itself and major corosion. My dad totally scraped it off with a file (All we had at the time) and tightened connector for a tighter fit. Car started fine. Took it to dealer today (started fine). I asked them to recheck alternator again and told them about cable. They said the alternator was testing perfectly fine now. They did they that the cable was bad though since you shouldn't be able to pull out the sleeve. They put some blue stuff around the battery terminals (not sure what it does) and messed with the positive battery terminal so it wouldn't have this problem (loose fit) for awhile. They said eventually it should be replaced. They didn't have one in stock anyway and it's $100 for the cable.

In summary when they disconnected the battery cable to do all the work in the first place it just brought out the problem that was already there I think. I had just been lucky that the current position of the cables was enough to make contact and charge the battery. I will continue to watch for the battery light but I have a feeling it won't come back on.