Did i really just fry my alt?

[spook302]

So my 91 gsx has 200,000 on it. about 2 months ago the alt died. it was an old one. its time was up. Anyways. car has been fine and I put an optima in it when I changed the alt. Now today I tried to help a friend jump start his truck. After we started it i turned my car off for about an hour. i started to drive home and the battery light, the brake light amd a light on the left that is orange and I really dont know what it means. but the fact is my car just stopped charging. fuse is ok. I pulled over to check it. Did I just fry a brand new alt by jumping my buddies truck?

 

[ktgurl87]

i wouldn't think so unless the cables got mixed up at some point or they touched metal and grounded out. that or maybe your new alternator is defective :\ make sure all connections are good first though.

 

[gho5tone]

And check if your belt is loose or not.

 

[spook302]

connections are all good. the alt was just fine until the jump start. I didnt notice the lights coming on till later. I just reached into the car and turned it off.

Belts good

 

[2GbTalonGuy]

Any squealing when you start or rev the car? If so it could be a lose belt.

 

[ktgurl87]

did you unhook the cables before shutting the car off? if not maybe something happened then? not real sure... i would try popping the alt. off and taking it to get tested. parts stores test them for free. depending on where you got it from, most alternators have at least a 1 year warranty (at least ours do). if it's not the alternator then you've gotta start checking elsewhere on the car. which optima do you have? i know a lot of people who have had lots of problems with the red tops. i honestly wouldn't put an optima in a car just as a replacement battery. sure they've got more power but i don't believe they necessarily charge the same as a 'wet' battery. from what i've seen, they don't tend to last too long :\

 

[spook302]

Ok. so my friends truck apparently has a bad short to ground. he just fried the alt on his girls car trying to jump it as well. Cables where never hooked up backwards on either jump and his truck has some seriously burned wires. the wire loom on his truck was fried by the header. That harness contains the alt and starter wiring. He just called me to tell me about what happened to his girls truck and what he found on his truck....lame...I should make him change my alt. Hopefully thats all thats wrong. The car drove home just fine because I have a 800 cca aptima in but also everything worked just fine. car even boosted fine while the battery was charged

 

[Ryan4dc]

Did you check if one of the battery connections on the smaller wires got loose?

 

[ktgurl87]

on one hand... i would make him change it, because it IS his fault on the other hand... i wouldn't let him do it because he didn't even realize his wiring was screwed on his truck :X just take the alt. back to where you got it from and tell them "this thing sucks!" -nods-

 

[spook302]

Thats my plan. its still has a warranty.

Yeah all the wires are tight. thanks guys

 

[95redturboawd]

Something to look for is to make sure that you have the little insulator piece on the bolt of the alternator where you put the power wire. If you don't, the alternator fuse will blow every time you try to reconnect the battery.