Can alternator cause my 2g to be overheating?

[jjaycxj]

I have a 98 talon that has began to overheat and the car will also have a hard time starting unless jumped if I leave it for a few hours it's dead could these 2 problems be connected? At 1st I thought it was the hg but the oil and coolant look clean.

Anyone?

 

[KewlWinter]

You need to check a couple of things. After a cold start, check what voltage is being put out by the alternator. If that is good, check the voltage under load with a load tester or alternatively put on your lights, a/c, etc.. to put the alternator under load. If that looks good, once the car comes up to operating temp with a/c off, check that the cooling fan is coming on.

Its possible that with a bad alternator or battery that the ECU may not actuate the cooling fan in a low voltage, high load situation, or will repeatedly cycle it on and off, providing insufficient cooling. Hope this helps!

 

[Backinajiffy12]

You need to check a couple of things. After a cold start, check what voltage is being put out by the alternator. If that is good, check the voltage under load with a load tester or alternatively put on your lights, a/c, etc.. to put the alternator under load. If that looks good, once the car comes up to operating temp with a/c off, check that the cooling fan is coming on.

Its possible that with a bad alternator or battery that the ECU may not actuate the cooling fan in a low voltage, high load situation, or will repeatedly cycle it on and off, providing insufficient cooling. Hope this helps!

+1

Check other things that can also be atributed to overheating. Such as rad. cap, air in the system...ect. But you definitly have a bad alt or bat.

 

[1995 brian]

Check all your grounds to and your battery terminals. When the car is overheating will it go away with the heater? If you have not tried that. Give it a shot and if it cools down then most likely you have a bad thermostat.

 

[jjaycxj]

Alright I will check that but I also have full retrofitted headlights running straight off the battery that seem fine but when I have the a/c on full blast with the radio or something the dash gets very dim and sometimes the antilock light will come on? Then when I turn something off it's fine?

 

[eatsleepboostin]

I really don't see the alternator causing the engine to overheat. It's more than likely to be two different problems you have there or multiple problems. Easy way to check to see if you have a bad alternator is jump the car then undo the negative cable. If the alternator is good it should keep the car charged and it shouldn't die. If it does shut off, take that alternator and have it bench test at autozone or kragen. If it don't shut off then it's a bad battery. The overheating can be anything from bad radiator to stuck close thermostat to bad water pump. Too many possible cause to just say one thing. You will need to run some test to make sure.