I heard from a local mechanic that some underdrive pulley sets include an alternator pulley that is to small and causes the car to charge a lot slower than normal. Has anyone heard anything about this? I'm hopping this is my problem because I don't know what else would cause this. I store my car durring the winter here in WI and I start it once a week and for some reason the car loses it's charge during the week and I have to charge the battery before I can start the car every week. The battery drains so low that I have to reset my radio because the car thinks the battery was disconected. I think my alternator pulley is to small and isn't charging the car enough. When I have my defroster, wipers, and headlights all on at the same time and I'm sitting a light with my blinker on they will blink once every 2-3 seconds and my charge is way down. Do you think the alternator pulley could be causing my charging problem? Has anyone else had this problem? Sorry for the long post, but I really need to solve this problem and you guys seem to really know a lot about these third gens.

 

Yup, this is common, alot stay away from them, as I probably will. The only pulley really worth getting is the crank, when people only get that 1 I don't hear all the BS as when they get all.

 

Now you know why people stay away from a smaller pulley,
remove it and listen to your mechanic next time. Live and learn.

 

the pully kit that i got came with 2 pullies. 1 for the crank to slow the belt down and 1 for the alt. to seed it up! But it still charges low(only at idle).
they do cause your car to charge less or not at all at idle. there is 2 was around it, if you would like to keep them.

1 buy an other pully for your alt that is even smaller that the one you have to speed it up even more.

2 replace you alt. with one that will cominsate for the pullies. they have a 60amp rating at idle.

BWT. When your car is in long term storage you should not use the engine to charge the battery. It will go flat over time.

 

Is the Alt. charging when you start the car? Underdrive pullies are not going to drain the battery during the week. YOu do not say what the Alt. is putting out at idle, or how long you are letting it run. Please give some more info.

nick

 

Thanks guys, I thought that is the problem.

89BlueTA
I don't know what the alt is putting out at idle, I let the car run until it is around 180deg.

 

being in WI you shouldn't leave your battery in your car, cold is not a friend to any battery; especially one that isn't used frequently.......

just another point.

 

My car is stored in a heated garage and I start it atleast once week.

 

My car, when I have a lot of things on (wipers, defog, blinker, stereo, headlights), and I am idleing, will be looking kinda grim on the charging side. The battery gauge will be sagging below 0 and every time the blinker blinks it dips down even more. Whats worse, it at a stop light, my headlights and gauge lights are very very dim. I hear that this is a problem with thirdgen's in general, and that it gets worse with underdrive pulleys.

I just wish that when I get my alternator replaced that I got the B4C police alternator for some extra charging power.

 

I have underdrive crank pulleys on both cars and they charge at idle in park with no accessories on.