i let my car sit for 2 months cause i was driving pretty far distances and since my car is to low for some of the roads i decided to carpool with others. well anyways i had an oil leak which turned out to be my oil sending unit...alright that was replaced. then i start it up no leak so i go to drive off and my battery sign comes on. i drove down to napa auto parts and picked up a new alternator. next day i put it on and the alternator doesnt wanna work. so i go back and exchanged for a new one and the new one didnt work either. i put my old one on and it starts up but still wont charge the battery. alright so i thought it might be my battery. so i had it tested...thats fine, and had the alternator tested too and that was fine. so does anyone have idea of whats going on? im so confused as to what it can be
If u battery stayed still for 2 months, my guess is taht it is short inside....Get a new battery or try to charge it and check it after with a voltmeter....
I had a problem completly opposite to that. it was my alternator my car would run for so long and if i pressed the brakes or used turn signals or my radio the car acted like it would die. it finally did and a got a new alternator, and i had been driving it so long my battery wouldnt charge, so i had it tested and they told me it wouldnt hold a charge. so i got a new one, it sure beats charging it overnight just to go somewhere. btw i wouldnt kill my car or it might not have enough juice to start lukily i always carry jumper cables in my spare tire compartmentbtw i wouldnt kill my car or it might not have enough juice to start, lukily i always carry jumper cables in my spare tire compartment
well buy a new battery..see if its that..worst that can happen is it's not the problem.and you have a new battery
Check the electrical connections between the alternator and the battery (could have a break, which would cause no charge returning to the battery). Also check your ground wires.
L8r...
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Quote:
alright so i thought it might be my battery. so i had it tested...thats fine, and had the alternator tested too and that was fine.
Out of the 5 replies to this post, only 1 mentions something that he didnt already say. Bravo.
Im assuming that yes, your alternator is fine, and that you had your battery tested at a qualified place. Do you remember how they tested your battery, what method?
They should have charged your battery about 75% charged to test it.
Assuming they did a good job check the electrical connections between the alternator and the battery. Look for any corrosion, espicially since your car was sitting there could be some rust or something on the alternator connections or on the battery.
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/504808/z28.jpg" width=317 height=59>
Hi Slammedcav
read the posts with interest.
1. If you can start the have the car and check the voltage across the Positive and Negative battery terminals you should read 14.5 volts DC, or very close to this figure, if the battery is being charged correctly.If you have this result the Battery is probably no good/sulfated
2. If you are only getting a reading of 12.5 volts, or close to this figure, the Alternator is NOT serviceable and the Battery is not being charged at all.
You can confirm 2 above by taking another reading from the Alternator Batt terminal (The big Positive one) and a good Earth/Ground.
a) 14.5 volts or so here would indicate that the alternator is operating correctly and there is a break in the main charging cable from the Batt terminal to the Battery Positive terminal.
b) 12.5 volts or so indicates the Alternator is not serviceable
Fix the break/bad connection and retest.
Let us all know what the fix was, please.
Good Luck
Alont
.
SlammedCav wrote:i let my car sit for 2 months cause i was driving pretty far distances and since my car is to low for some of the roads i decided to carpool with others. well anyways i had an oil leak which turned out to be my oil sending unit...alright that was replaced. then i start it up no leak so i go to drive off and my battery sign comes on. i drove down to napa auto parts and picked up a new alternator. next day i put it on and the alternator doesnt wanna work. so i go back and exchanged for a new one and the new one didnt work either. i put my old one on and it starts up but still wont charge the battery. alright so i thought it might be my battery. so i had it tested...thats fine, and had the alternator tested too and that was fine. so does anyone have idea of whats going on? im so confused as to what it can be
alright so i thought it might be my battery. so i had it tested...thats fine, and had the alternator tested too and that was fine. so does anyone have idea of whats going on? im so confused as to what it can be
I am not going crazy am i? i could swear this wasnt on there when i posted
Hi Slammedcav and Shiftdrifter
What car do you have Shiftdrifter-it's hard to help when we don't know.
Just to add to my previous post there are two Fusible links in the up to '94 Cavs shown in my book and it would be another component to check they haven't blown - I presume they would still be there in 96 Cav's.
The 14-GA GRY from Alternator to Battery may have blown and as the Power Distribution is through the 16-GA Rust, everything else would work, but there would be no charge to the battery.
Posting the DC Voltage obtained across the battery terminals with the engine running would give us all a good starting point in trying to help you.
Digital multimeters are available at low cost-or even a in car voltmeter would suffice.
Alont
Also, do you have any pulleys, underdrive or overdrive on your car?
Ive seen instances where people change out pulleys and that leads to whole other messes.
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/504808/z28.jpg" width=317 height=59>
