Sometimes my alternator works awesome 13.5 volts, but sometime like now, It just shuts off. I literally have to race home before the battery dies.....

Wuts the probelm.

 

If it is not a bad plug connection (possible oxidation of contacts) you could have a diode in the rectifier set up that is going and is overheating and cutting out, or some other part that is heating up, expanding in size and loosing contact.

Just a guess.

If it was me, I'd get a new/rebuilt altenator if it has alot of milage on it.

Depends on how handy you are taking things apart. The altenator is not all that complicated. To get it apart all that you have to do is remove the nut on the pulley and the three screws that hold the case together. The front of the case just pulls off and then the armature can be pulled out. Then you will be able to see inside. The trickiest part is putting the armature shaft back in, you have to put the brushes back in place and pin them from the back side to hold them in place until the shaft is re inserted.

 

You know I had the weirdest experience with my rebuilt generator once winter got here, it started to go at nearly 18 volts when the car was cold, the check engine light would go on and all the gauges would be really lit up, as well as the lights outside, then it'd drop and the go up again and then start fluctuating up and down 2-3 times a second, once the car got warmer it would stop.

Then I had my battery disconnected once for another unrelated reason and once I screwed it back in it has never happened again until it came back from the mechanic, then I unscrewed the connections again and tightened them myself and it's not happened since.

 

That is why the instructions in the rebuild kits tell you to have a toothpick handy.

A rebuild kit can be bought at Canadian Tire for around $20 (cad), which includes new brushes, bushings, and diodes., and takes about ten minutes to do. The only difficult part is getting the bushings out.

 

you guys really think a rebuild kit will work because im short on money. very short.

 

a thourough visual inspection is free... make sure that all related connections are free of corrosion/oxidation n' nice n' tight. I wonder if you'd be able to smell anything frying by the time you make it home. I guess you could try. Like novass said, you could also take the alternator apart n' inspect the insides see'n as removing it is pretty easy.

 

My autozone is so gay, there like, the weather is not nice enough for an inspection, it was like drizzling