Dummy light help!

[Fightclub66]

When I bought my 99 GSX about 2 months ago, something it needed was an alternator. Until I changed it, the battery light, brake light, and a/t temp light would flash occasionally. Swapped alternator out, and it went away.

About a month later, the lights came back and eventually got to a point where the car wouldnt start. My buddy couldnt find anything wrong, so we thougth maybe the alternator was a dud, and sure enough when we got a new one, problem went away.

NOW, a month later, the lights are back. All 3 at the same time, no particular method to when they come or go. Sometimes rapid flash, sometimes they stay and chill a bit. It cant be 3 bad alternators in a row, unless something is killing them?

any ideas for me on what to check? Alternators are pricey and I cant get stranded again as this is my DD! Help!

thanks in advance.

 

[LiquidX]

Are these part store alternators?

I went through 3 in 1 week to get a good one from Autozone. Even some of the ones they had new in box tested bad.

 

[Fightclub66]

yeah theyre from a parts store. You really think that its seriously just another bad alternator? does it make sense to question if something is just ripping through them and breaking them in a months time?

 

[LiquidX]

A lot of the part store alternators are just thrown together and can't really take the excessive heat our cars have. Pull it off, get it tested and I'm pretty sure it'll fail. If you have had enough with taking them off, just get an OEM unit.

My 3rd one is still working great now, you may just not have found the proper one.

You wouldn't happen to have a voltage gauge by chance do you? If not, when you have the lights pop on, take a multimeter to the alternator and see how many volts it's putting out.

 

[luv2rallye]

Bat/alt test: http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/new...reeway-electrical-problems.html#post151165661

 

[Fightclub66]

So this weekend I took a closer look and am STILL stumped. Alternator and battery are now both testing fine, but the problem is only getting worse. REALLY low idles are becoming more frequent and it feels like its almost dieing at some points. The same 3 lights come and go. Anything else that could be the problem? I checked all connections etc as well

 

[Coreyred95]

it sounds like a bad alternator to me. like liquidx said, go to your local dealership and pick up an OEM unit.

 

[luv2rallye]

Auto stores (especially Autozone) are natorious for selling terribly poor quality alts AND have totally worthless testers. Do the alt/battery test I mentioned earlier. For a real alt test you have to take it to a shop that repairs alts/starters (see yellow pages). The best alts to buy are also at those shops (they'll even repair yours if you want or swap for either a rebuild or brand new).