possible alternator/battery prob.

[BigBADGSX]

This all started when i was on my way home one night, i noticed my lights got really dim along with all my interior lights then my cd player starts turning on and off. I get the car home but it was really late at night and i didnt have a chance to work on it or see if i could figure out what was up. I then go out the next morning just to see if it would fire up and for sure all i got was "CLICK CLICK RRRRR" hahaha. So a buddy of mine has what you would call a "jump pack" its so you dont have to use jumper cables from another persons car or what not. I put the pack on and it fired up with a little hesitation, i let it run for about 20mins shut it off and fired right back up with no problem but i didnt drive the car anywhere that day/night. Today rolls around i go outside to see if the car will fire again and sure enough absolutly NOTHING this time.....i put the jump pack back on and it fires.

The battery is somewhat new, i got it at the begining of summer time last summer but i have had issues with a squeeky alternator belt for a long time now, the belt has been replaced and the squeek went away but came back after a few weeks.

any ideas would be awsome, allthough i seem to think its the alternator not keeping the battery charged? Anyone know how much an alternator costs for 2gs?

 

[luv2rallye]

Check voltage at battery when engine is rev'd above idle. If more than 13.5 volt your battery is shot. If not, your alternator isn't putting out. But first check engine box fuses and clean and tighten battery cables.

 

[dougEdoug]

hello,
hey man i don't mean to steer away from your car's problem, but mine is having some issues right now with the alt. and battery area that are kind of similar.
my car had a real bad case of the lights dimming when the brakes were applied as well as when i down shifted to a stop with out using my brakes. i have an apexi turbo timer and watch my battery volts during this time. when i slow to stop and down shift or even just slow down some times with out downshifting my volts go from 13.6ish area all the way down to 11.8 to 12.5. i thought the problem was with my alt. cause my batteries age is similiar to his, but i got a hold of a 2G 90 amp and just put it on this past weekend. well, i still get the same problem and to a degree a little worse. the volts drop for a longer period of time and my idle drops while the volts are lowered.
however, you say the if the volts raise above 13.5 when the car is raised above an idle that the battery is shot, why is that? while i'm on the highway going home my volts read in the 13.6 to 14.0 range. is this bad? what should happen to the volts above idle? however, once i pull onto an off ramp and down shift or even coast to a stop my volts drop.
i just want my battery and alt. to work normally. i'm going to have the battery checked out for the second time this next weekend to see if something else is going on.
but as to BigBADGSX's problem i would lean towards the battery. i don't know what kind of battery you have, but i've got one of the top-line O'Rielly batteries in my car, which could be my problem right there buying a battery from O'Rielly's, but i believe with the problems your describing it sounds more like the battery isn't holding the charge.
i don't know i'm not quite what to think at all about the charging and battery systems or any dsm i just want my to work like it should and not leave me stranded.
later
doug e.

 

[kingpin1011]

Ive had the same problem, lights dimming down, I think its cause of the alternator, Ive had 2 problems so far with alt/batt... and the 2 times it was my alternator.

 

[powder]

#1. start car
#2. let run for a couple mins
#3. disconnect positive terminal of battery

if your car shuts off... your alt. is shot. if it stays running... it's the battery. car will run (w/ the battery disconnected) if the alt. is good cuz once the car is started the battery runs accessories only.

 

[luv2rallye]

With his description of the car just going click, click, click in the morning, the battery obviously does not have the charge to engage the starter (another possibility of this click, click symptom is starter cable is bad or has a poor connection). So if the volts are above 13.5 when above idle, it means the alternator is putting out but the battery is not holding the charge - so bad battery. If below 13.5v (or even below 12.5), the alternator is not putting out - so bad alternator. That is one case. Another possible case of being below 13.5v, however, is when the battery has a short (or dead cell) within it which causes the alternator to put out max current but because of the short, the voltage drops - so bad battery (and alternator is actually ok). When everything is running properly you should have around 14.4v on the battery at 2500 rpm.

 

[luv2rallye]

...once the car is started the battery runs accessories only.

No - the alt and battery are connected in parallel. If the alt can put out higher voltage than the battery can (usually the case) for the present electrical current draw, then the alt will run everything including charging the battery. If it can't (like when below idle speed), then the battery will run everything.

Powder's test for a shot alt is a clever one (although keep in mind there's a small possibility that if the car keeps running you might just have a weak alt).

 

[akagotcha]

i had a list of many possiblitys my first prob was my car when warmed up would run horrible compression was low i changed just about every damn sensor under the hood aswell as the head gasket now the car still runs like shit but now the lights have been acten up there goin dim after a while and when i turn the wheel all the idiot lights come on im pretty sure its a weak alt cause itll run all day ilong if i dont use the radio or lights
but would the fact the car runs like shit be the alt or is it the comp could be bad

 

[luv2rallye]

i had a list of many possiblitys my first prob was my car when warmed up would run horrible compression was low i changed just about every damn sensor under the hood aswell as the head gasket now the car still runs like shit but now the lights have been acten up there goin dim after a while and when i turn the wheel all the idiot lights come on im pretty sure its a weak alt cause itll run all day ilong if i dont use the radio or lights
but would the fact the car runs like shit be the alt or is it the comp could be bad

Classic symptoms of alternator (although your compression might also be low). Engines running on less than 12 volts often run terrible - the less voltage the worse it will be.

 

[Defiant]

Make sure your positive terminal has an insulator over it, that the battery is bolted down, that it's not shorting against the underside of the hood or against your racey strut bar, and that the positive cable (and any attached to it) isn't shorting along its route.

 

[akagotcha]

alternator was tested and tested a ok but when the car is running the battery still dies out and compression is fine had the head done and bored. compression is arounfd 215 psi instead of stock 192 i dont know why the battery still dies out the car seems to run fine its just idleing. any help would be great.

 

[spirol]

I had this problem this alternator problem last week.
symptoms:
* car idles rough at 1000-1200 (idle surging)
* car dies but after 20 minutes it can be started again
* I got the check engine light on
* dash lights also comes on (coolant light, battery, etc)
* no lights and accesorry power.

I replaced the alternator and the car is back to normal.
Check you battery terminals
Check your relay
check your wiring.
check your alternator (if its howling, or covered with grease