I have a 90 teg and my battery light keeps flashing on and off. It was doing it ba this morning but stopped, I figured the battery was crap, so I swapped it out. But it started doing it again a few hours ago, it only does it if my RPM's drop below 2500. Not really sure why it's doing it, I checked everything, and all the wires are tight, there is also no CEL codes up so I have no clue as to what is going on, my guess is the altenator? I didn't think it would be that since my battery is still holding charge. I started it up about an hour ago and let it run for about 10 minutes and the light didn't come on, so I don't know what's going on. I also noticed that when the light was on earlier, my car was running colder than usual? Any idea what's going on here?


Modified by mybikeisblack at 9:00 PM 8/26/2008

 

no one? It started doing it again today, now the light only goes off when my RPM's are around 3700. I really need an idea of whats happening.

 

Is your alternator putting out 14.7 volts? The brushes inside the alternator are probably getting low. You can buy new brushes for a couple bucks and repair it yourself or spend a couple hundred on a alternator.

 

How do I check the voltage? And also, how would I tell if the brushes are low?

 

use a voltage tester, you can buy them almost anywhere, its gonna have negitive and postive wires coming out of a hand held computer, black is (-) and red is (+)
now touch the black wire to some bare metal under your hood, motormount, trans, sub frame...ect, and the red wire, touch the end of that one to the wire coming out of your alternator, if it isnt at 14.7 v then you need new brushes

a voltage tester can range in price from 20 bucks to well over 200

any more questions?

 

Just go to auto zone and test the alternator

 

or you could do that if you want to take the alternator off, i dont know how they do it in ca but it has to be removed here in tx, and taking off that alternator is much harder than getting a voltage tester

 

If i were to do it myself, how would i go about pulling it out?

EDIT:: Just took it to O'reilys and had them use the voltmeter. He said that my batteris 89% charged and that my alternator is putting out low power. He said he doesnt think my alternator is bad, he thinks something is drawing more power than usual. Could that have something to do with my car running cooler than usual when the battery light is on? I'm starting to think that it might have something to do with my cooling system. Not realy sure, I know I need a new radiator as the one I have is trashed.


Modified by mybikeisblack at 6:47 PM 8/26/2008

 

BUMP:

really need some help

 

Well drove the car about 10 miles this night, radio shut off then came back on. Interior lights dimmed along with the exterior lights. Idled real low once I was at a complete stop. I turned the car off, then tried to start it, it wouldn't start. Finally got it to start after like 10 tries and had to give it alot of gas so it would stay on. I really need some help on this and what I should do to fix it.

 

i'm having the same exact problems as you. replaced batts and everything. goes away sometimes but most of the time will only stay on over a certain rpm mostly 3000 for me. and usually i know the car is going to die when the needle on my rpm starts to bounce up and down. hopefully its just the brushes like they said, although i dont know how to install them.

 

Neither do I, but my needle doesn't bounce, and the light only comes on when my temp gauge is lower than normal.

 

same thing happens with my temp gauge. i have a 91 civic by the way. when the battery is real low or is not charging the same happens to my temp gauge. my normal is usually half way, but when the bat indicator turned on the temp only went 1/4 of the way.

 

If you cant test an alternator, just give up and take it somewhere to get it fixed. Its the brushes in your alternator, over time they tend to wear down and when they are on there last little bit, it will do exactly what your explaining.

 

I could figure out the brushes thing. First I'm going to check all the ground wires today, probably call a few places about an alternator for my car, then look into replacing the brushes. I'll let you all know how it turns out.

 

your brushes are going bad, it will need to be rebuilt..i only sound so condifent cause mine was rebuilt 3 times (i finally got rid of my sterio)

check this vid out, this is my car what my car did when mine started goin out

http://s102.photobucket.com/al...y.flv

 

Any help you can give me so I can do it myself? I can't afford to have it done, so everything has to be done by me.

 

when my brushes went out i did not get a full rebuild i only got the brushes done and it only cost be 12 bucks to take it somewhere and have them do it...so call around it wont be much

 

How much was it for you? And your pretty much positive that thats what it is?

 

it cost me 12 bucks to take it somewhere and have it done. and is it charging then not charging? or are like your headlights gettin really bright when the light comes on and does the blower motor speed way up when the light comes on?

 

It will charge sometimes then not charge, and will only charge once I get my rpms up kinda high, as for blower speed, haven't really noticed a change in it, I've noticed it comes on more frequently. And as for having it done, is that removing it yourself and taking it some where?

 

well from what you decribe it sounds like you brushes are done which luckily is a cheap fix.. and yes you do have to take it out yourself and have it taken in.

i can have one out in 20 mins, its kinda a pain in the *** but not impossible

 

Well got new battery terminals and cleaned up the ground wire for the battery, after about 10 minutes of driving, battery light came back on

 

i'll try and get those brushes replaced. sounds simple. i wonder if there's a write up somewhere on how to do it. i'll try all these. if all else fails. just pull a new one at a junk yard.

 

Battery officialy died, had to dump the clutch to get it to come back on. Any tutorials online for the removal of the alternator? Found a place in the phone book who fixes them, so im going to take it out, and get it looked at, and then possibley fixed tomorrow.