Hey everybody I am new to this board as I usually don't take up electical repairs myself, but this time I don't have cash to take it to a pro. So here is my problem.

I was pulling into a parking space one night when all of a sudden my engine just dies. I pull in & try to start it again, and nothing, no sounds, no "oil" light. Total silence. I turned off my lights and my flip-ups went down, but when I turned them back on they wouldn't go back up.

Now the wierd thing is the lights and radio work, its just the car doesn't seem to have enough juice to turn over or power the headlight motors. Also the alarm light blinks very pale and the alrm goes off but its very quiet.

The car is in my sig. It is a non-CC Q-Jet. Please somebody tell me what this sounds like, maybe a short somewhere?

BTW This happened to me once before, I called AAA and on the
way back home in the truck everything just powered right back up and worked for a month until I gto stranded in the post. Thanks a lot,

-Max

 

It sounds like your alternator. I just replaced mine today. Did you happen to notice what the voltage gauge needle was at before it died?

 

Yep I agree, sounds like an alternator to me. Get the car running and pull the cable loose from the battery. If the car still runs, it's not the alternator.

 

NO, DO NOT get your car running and pull the cables off the battery, it will kill your alternator. I am not attacking your idea but thirdgen alternators suck *** and are not like trucks or other cars I know of. I have replaced mine many times from killing my battery and jumping my car thinking it would charge my battery, never happened it just killed my alternator. So take your battery and get it fully charged and checked if still good along with your alternator at auto zone or whatever for free first. More than likely its your alternator but just make shure your battery is fully charged before you slap the new one in.

 

Another reason not to do this is the voltage spike that occours when the cable is removed, enough of a spike and you may lose the computer as well. Charge the battery and see if you get dash lights. then attempt to start the car again. If it starts you know that you either had a loose cable, or the alternator is going out or died. If it does not start then you have a little more research to do. Start by checking all the wireing connections to the battery, then to the starter, also check the cable for the ground that goes to the engine block itself. If all theat is good make sure you loook for a melted harness or fuseable link (piece of wire designed to act like a fuse for high currrent applications) If you have done any recent maintenance on the car and it had anything to do with the removal of wires or connections check those as well. Trying to diagnose your car over the net with the little bit of information you gave is not easy, but follow the above troubleshootiung tips and I am sure you will find your problem.

Sean

 

Well I replaced the battery with a new one I had lying around. Cleaned up a rusty battery ground and still nothing.

As I understand it 90% chances are that its an alternator. So tomorrow weather permitting I will change it with another one I have lying around, I will check all the wires going to it in the process.

I'll let everybody know how it turned out, and please keep the ideas coming.

Thanks,
-Max

 

well, i changed the alternator. I am positive that this one is good. Should I take me battery to get fully charged or is it ok to jump it off a different car?

The Camel: where exactly is the ground on the block? Also why would checking the starter fix my problem, it doesn't affect the dash lights and other electricals workings does it?

Thanks fo the help,
-Max

 

Well I fixed it. wasn't the alternator. It was a wire going to the starter, got burned in two by the headers.

Thanks for the help everyone,
-Max

 

The reason I said look at the starter is that is where your main power wire goes, and now as you can see there was a problem in that wire....


Sean

 

LOL, 90% of the time Its something simple and retarted compared to your first thought.