OK, I replaced my alternator and battery. Alternator last week, battery yesterday. When I changed the alternator I stupidly forgot to unhook the battery and the red wire from the alt grounded when I disconnected it. It drove fine however, battery was junk, was junk before this, but it was definitly bad so I replaced it yesterday. After I replaced it(battery) it drove fine for a while. Then last night I was accelerating from a stop sign and it started to act bad.

The lights dimmed, radio cut off, the volt guage was bouncing like mad, the check engine light came on, and the car bogged down. It would do this a few times then drive fine. The SES light wouldn't actually stay on. It would go on when stumbling and the guages were goofy, go off, then the car acts good, go on again, things go bad. It would do this a few times then it would finially drive fine. It also does this in a period of 15 seconds it will go on and off like 5 times. Today, it did this and I noticed the tach was goofy as well. The car actually stalled. When I went to restart it acted like there was no juice. The radio reset, the starter wouldnt even click. I waited a few then it started like nothing was wrong. Its like the car loses complete electrical power then regains power.

The car charges fine, the battery holds a charge. The car runs good excpet for this. It seems to happen under acceleration or throttle only. Light throttle doesnt cuase it to do it as bad. Somtimes when it shifts my volt guage bounces and it hesitates slightly. Under constant speeds it doesnt do it as much or as bad.

WTF is this?! Can you please give me an idea? Help please!!

Matt

P.s. I am gone to my college orientation at Western Michigan. I'll be back Tuesday night. I'll answer any more questions then. Please help. I'm open to any idea or suggestion.

 

Sounds like you could have bought a faulty alternator. Where did you get it? Auto Zone and stores like that are notorious for selling faulty alternators and other car parts. Matt

 

Check the obvious before suspecting the alt.

The battery wires must be in good condition. the battery must be secured to the car(sounds like a possible culprit in your case). Connections at Batt. terminals are torqued tightly. Conn. at starter are connected tightly. Alt. belt tensioned properly.

If every thing is going bonkers in an insant than I would almost rule out the Alt. because the new batt should be able to fill in the void. Sounds like a problem with your conn. from the batt to the starter which supplies juice to all the components that you're experiencing problems with.

One other thing to check for is a bad engine ground. Theres one right there from the - batt term. to the alt mount.

It must be one of these common failure points.

 

Bought the battery and alternator at Pepboys. The alternator was free cause it was under warranty. Be aware I have owned the car since October of 2001 and I have replaced 3 alternators and 4 batterys.

How is the ground cable run from the battery? Is it simply bolted to the block? Does it only run from the battery to the block or does it split off somewhere?

Why did it start acting up after I replaced the battery?

On the starter, what wire could be loose, or just tighten them all?

Could the accidental grounding I did do something?

Thanks for the replies. Keep them coming.

Has anyone else expierianced this before?

Matt

 

sounds to me like a connection is loose. I say check all the wiring and really take a good look at the positive battery cables and the fuseable links.

 

I think I found the problem. I traced the wiring and it looked good and tight, so I went to check the wiring by the starter and the solinoid was loose! The wiring was good, it was just that the solinoid itself was loose. So I tightened it up and the car started fine. I drove it around, no problems. I hope this is what was wrong. Tomarrow I will go under and torque it down real nice and tight.

Thanks for all the replies and help.

Matt

 

I would say you found it too because a bad connection there can do some weird stuff like you said. Make sure you disconnet the battery before going down and messing with the starter wires or you can weld your wrenck to the frame.