Ok I need some input. The other day I started the car and for the first time the battery light came on. I was like wtf?? Anyway when I would drive the light would go off at high rpms but come back on when they dropped.

Today, the lights went dim and i got the car home. Turn it off, try to start it...dead.
So I figure ok time for an alternator.......go have the one in the car tested, it passes......TWICE. Now WTF?? If the alternator is good then why would the battery light come on and why would the battery not get charged? I disconnected the battery while the car was running and it dies....Im so confused After I put the alternator back in the first time it started and ran no battery light. I shut the car off and start it 5 minutes later and the damn light is on again and dies when the battery is disconnected. Any suggestions??? My dad said maybe it isnt getting power to the coil but would that make the battery light come on? Shouldnt the stupid alternator be working if it passed the test?

 

any ideas??

 

Well that just means something in the alternator is going. Maybe a diode is messed up?......maybe the voltage regulator is messing up?.........

do this.

Start the car.
Take out the battery.
And see if it keeps running - it should.
If it doesn't, you need a new alternator.

 

are you sure the alternator belt isnt just slipping? If the belt is tensioned properly, then take the alternator to an autozone or anywhere that has a bench tester.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by syntax420 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">are you sure the alternator belt isnt just slipping? If the belt is tensioned properly, then take the alternator to an autozone or anywhere that has a bench tester.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Glad you mentioned that.

 

In my first post it says I went to autozone and it passed the test twice. Thats why I cant figure it out.

I started the car today, battery light went off for some reason. I took off the battery cable and it ran......touched the gas and it died. Stupid car. I dont want to spend $100+ on a new alternator and still have this problem. Plus the unholy time and effort it takes to replace one. Who designs a car where you cant get the damn alternator out without taking off the heatshield/power steering pump and cruise control setup???? Keep in mind this is on a 91.......when i did my 92 it was way easier. They designed this so you cant take one of the alt bolts out because the power steering pulley is in the way and you cant get the power steering bolts out because the cruise control thing is in the way (im guessing thats what it is, look like a pump and has a cable that runs to it and out into the firewall)

 

How far can you actually trust autozone? i mean come on.

Do the test I told you to - and you will see.

You said the charging system light comes on "sometimes". That means that SOMETIMES something is messing up.

You know how if you have a bad relay - it'll go in and out sometimes.......kinda like that. If your voltage regulator is going bad, it will do the same thing. Just coincidentally, when autozone tested the alternator - it was doing fine.

Here do this: Put your volt meter on the alternator output wire - and the other on the battery ground. Use the throttle to rev up the engine - and watch it. Open it up, and let it shut quickly........see if the voltage drops really low, then comes back up.

 

welll i kept tightening the alt belt and the light is off and i stopped and started the car 3 times and it hasnt come back on.......lets see if that fixed it. I tried tightening it before i ripped it out and it did nothing so i dunno

 

figured out what it is, the plug on the dizzy is loose or something, if i wiggle it the light goes on and off, sometimes it stays off till i hit a bump it will blink or come back on

 

this is a stupid question im sure but, what does the plug on the alternator do? I unplugged it the other day and the battery light went off but i knew that couldnt be right. I know its something to do with the plug now because i can wiggle it and the light goes off....wtF?

 

I knocked the alternator plug out on my old accord (gravel e-braking, haha) and I wound up getting a battery light. I would make sure it is in, and I mean IN. I had to really push to get mine to stop falling out. Hope this helps in some way.