Electric Problem, Driving Me Insane!!!!HELP PLEASE!

[SoCalGST]

Ok, started in april and the problem is not gone and now it's gotten worse.

Well here are my symptoms.

At idle(about 300-400) my lights dim. My stereo now crackels and hums and makes wierd hissing noises, it wont play cds at all half the time. I hear a strange hum all the time now, a low but high pitched hum, its coming from my engine bay, but i dont know where. I noticed a decrease in the power of my car, my headlights dimmed significantly, and when I turned on my lights, i noticed my stock stereo went extremely dim, when my blinkers are on my tach blinks light, and dark, timed to the blinker. If I try and roll up both windows at the same time, i feel the car shake and struggle it also dims my headlights to the point where it looks like im flashing my brights. Also this may have something to do with my A/C I'm not too sure though. I tried turning my A/C on, it was hot, so I tried filling it with r134a it didnt take it, so I took it to get serviced, they told me they couldnt get the compressor to turn on, the switch didnt work, and they even hooked it up to a computer and tried overriding my ECU. None of that got my compressor to turn on. I double checked my system, it had freon in it, but the fans wouldn't come on no matter what I did.

Here's what I have done so far.

Well I had my battery tested and it came up 12 volts, my alternator came up at charging 14.7-14.9 volts.Checked all fuses and relays, all fine, re-grounded every ground in the car, I didn't re-use any of the old ground spots, and every spot I used, I sanded down to bear metal.

So what could be causing this? Please help me i'm in desperate need...

 

[TotalEclipse112]

Sounds like the alrernator is backfeeding the system. Do you hear a growl out of your speakers, that changes with RPM?

 

[ddavisaf]

At idle(about 300-400) my lights dim...

You should idle at 750-800.
Bad ISC or your BISSS needs adjustment.

Where did you have your battery tested at?
Because it sounds like it's going out. Mine did the same thing you're describing, and three days later my battery crapped out on me.

Try plugging your AC fan connector into your cooling fan harness. See if the fan works, if not bad fan.
Then plug the cooling fan connector into the ac fan harness. This will tell us if the harness is getting power or not.
Then make sure your compressor has everything plugged into it. Make sure the belt is good.
Make sure you have all the relays needed.

 

[SoCalGST]

Sounds like the alrernator is backfeeding the system. Do you hear a growl out of your speakers, that changes with RPM?

Yes, my car does that, and it seems with each growl there is a loss of power also.

You should idle at 750-800.
Bad ISC or your BISSS needs adjustment.

Where did you have your battery tested at?
Because it sounds like it's going out. Mine did the same thing you're describing, and three days later my battery crapped out on me.

Try plugging your AC fan connector into your cooling fan harness. See if the fan works, if not bad fan.
Then plug the cooling fan connector into the ac fan harness. This will tell us if the harness is getting power or not.
Then make sure your compressor has everything plugged into it. Make sure the belt is good.
Make sure you have all the relays needed.

Well my battery has been doing this since before April. So I really dont think that it's my battery.

I will try my A/C stuff today, Do you think my A/C is directly tied to this power problem?

 

[ddavisaf]

Honestly? No. But it gives us a place to start from.
It is possible that the harness got chewed up and the wires are bare, and grounding out on the block or something along those lines.....

 

[SoCalGST]

You should idle at 750-800.
Bad ISC or your BISSS needs adjustment.

Where did you have your battery tested at?
Because it sounds like it's going out. Mine did the same thing you're describing, and three days later my battery crapped out on me.

Try plugging your AC fan connector into your cooling fan harness. See if the fan works, if not bad fan.
Then plug the cooling fan connector into the ac fan harness. This will tell us if the harness is getting power or not.
Then make sure your compressor has everything plugged into it. Make sure the belt is good.
Make sure you have all the relays needed.

Okay my bad, i was idling at 750-800 i checked it right now. So that pretty much rules out my ISC and BISS correct?

I couldn't get my cooling fan connector to reach to my A/C harness so I couldn't check that. The belt is fine and i have all working relays.

 

[halligoo]

Would you happen to have an underdrive pulley installed?

 

[SoCalGST]

Would you happen to have an underdrive pulley installed?

No, my full mod list is in my profile and is up to date.

 

[TotalEclipse112]

If you have a growl through the stero speakers, chances pitch with rpm, and it results in a power drop you have a backfeed somewhere. Like someone else said start checking for bare wires or cracked wire caseings, that are gounding where they are not supposed to. Also if you can get a good wiring diagram, check the major ground distribution points.

 

[bike64]

i know this says not newbies. im not hugely smart into dsms but i know alot about electrical issues. the problem is likely the alternator. the issues more the likely the diode isolated strip within the alternator this often will give you feeback in radio and the alternator with still show proper volage. check for alternating current off of the alternator. if your showing alternating current its deffinately your issue. hope i helped.
frank

 

[TotalEclipse112]

the problem is likely the alternator. the issues more the likely the diode isolated strip within the alternator this often will give you feeback in radio and the alternator with still show proper volage.

Its called the rectifier bridge, its how the alternator can produce AC current and the car can run on DC current. Most likely this is not the problem, if it was the alternator would draw current from the battery, and kill it. If it was any compont within the alternator my money would be on the diode comming out of the heat sink in the voltage regulator. Had that on happen to me before. Also concerning the Air Conditioning, is the wiring that controls the magnetic clutch good?

 

[SoCalGST]

I haven't been able to check all the wiring in the car.

Today it had start up issues, It took about 3 full seconds for it to start and it sounded weak. Once it was started, it idled at 500 i drove 20 minutes to work. At lunch, it started a little better and my idle was back up to 750-800.

I'll check the wires coming out of my alternator.

To the post about my grounds, All major grounds have been redone. I only have the chilton guide, and their wiring diagrams aren't all that great. A friend recommended checking my head unit's ground. He said that would cause all the grumbling and pitch changes from my speakers. I'll be checking that ground tomorrow, hopefully.

Thanks for al lyour guys input so far, hopefully i can get this problem fixed soon.

 

[TotalEclipse112]

Best of luck to you finding the gremlin that seems to have taken hold of your eletrical system. Wish I could help you more but there is only so much that can be done over the internet.

 

[Defiant]

See if you can get another alternator from a junker. My bet is that yours is done.

 

[ddavisaf]

See if you can get another alternator from a junker. My bet is that yours is done.

I agree.
If the alternator tests good then the problem usually lies in the "rectifier bridge". Just as TotalEclipse112 states. They don't test the bridge during normal testing so it may be bad. You'll have to get them to do a full load test on the alternator.

As to the fans.
You'll have to remove them and put them back in opposite of how you took them out.
Otherwise the harnesses won't reach

 

[SoCalGST]

Well, it just got worse....tonight my car died.

I was trying to back out of a friends driveway when my stereo lost all lights and turned off, then the headlights went really dim and my car died. I tried starting it up again and all I got was clicking sounds. Also all the lights on my tach were lit up. Every single one of them.

The headlights still work but are very dim, and I could roll up my windows but they rolled up very slow.

My friends all told me that it was my battery... I dunno. I think your guys input on my alternator is probably right on target. I have to pick up a new battery tommorow, then what should I do?

 

[GalantGSR91]

sounds as if the alternator has been gone and you've been running off of battery power only. I say get a new battery and replace the alternator somehow.

 

[SoCalGST]

Well my car died completly. I Bought a new battery, that didn't help at all. It's getting towed to the dealership now.

I'm going to have to pay 127.50 an hour for diagnostic work....

 

[TotalEclipse112]

Probally closer to $75 an hour and any tech worth his salt should have it figured out in at least an hour 2 tops. After all in a dealership techs get payed every 6 mins, the faster the work the more money they get. It shouldn't be that bad cost wise.

 

[SoCalGST]

well thats the price they quoted me over the phone... i hate the dealership.

 

[SoCalGST]

Okay, the dealership said it was my alternator, i have to pay 551 dollars now.

127.50 for diagnostics, 299 for the alternator, and 130 for installation.. they just raped me, but at least it will be fixed.

 

[Thomas91169]

Okay, the dealership said it was my alternator, i have to pay 551 dollars now.

127.50 for diagnostics, 299 for the alternator, and 130 for installation.. they just raped me, but at least it will be fixed.

you went to the dealership for a alt? and to think you call yourself a dsmer. at least its new and will hopefully last longer than 6 months like most remans dont.

though you couldve got a reman through autozone for 300 with a lifetime no questions warranty(since autozone doesnt carry the plug to test our alts). its not too terribly hard to install, and once you do it a coupe times, its second nature. ive gone through about 7 alts.

and if its an electrical problem, 95% of the time its the alt. just take that sucker off and get a new one.

sucks you had to get raped by the stealership.

 

[Spoolin4Ever]

Yeah there is a place here called startmart. They specilaize in alternators and starters.

Basically, they take apart your alternator, replace what needs fixed and put it back in for about $170 w/tax. Damn good deal.

 

[Defiant]

Okay, the dealership said it was my alternator, i have to pay 551 dollars now.

127.50 for diagnostics, 299 for the alternator, and 130 for installation.. they just raped me, but at least it will be fixed.

Damn, and it was free in Post #14.

 

[ddavisaf]

Damn, and it was free in Post #14.

And it was quoted in 15.