What did I do when my alternator died?
I was driving on the freeway and my car started to make a weird noise. Pulled over to the next lane for the next exit. It automatically died and locked up. I kicked it in neutral and forced it onto the shoulder. Roughly a week or two before that I replaced the alternator and it was running great.
Why does the battery light come on after the alternator is replaced?
This would make the Battery Light come on. It is also possible that there is a problem with the fusible link or the alternator fuse for the charging system.
How can I tell if my alternator is charging the battery?
Use your multimeter (if you don’t have one get one). Turn it to dc volts put your leads on your battery (with the car running), if your alternator is charging it should read from 13.5V-14.5V (thats a good charge). If your not getting a reading from there you can check your output from your alternator.
What causes a car alternator to stop working?
something in your car is drawing alot of power to cause it to die. now if its dying while it’s running but stopped…thats one thing. if it’s dying while its moving, that’s another. you probably have a short somewhere. check all alternator wiring, make sure the battery terminals are clean and that the negative is properly grounded.
Can a bad battery cause an alternator to over charge?
Make sure that all the connections to the alternator, remote voltage regulator (if applicable) and battery are clean, tight and in good condition. Check your battery or have it tested at your local auto parts store. A bad battery cell can cause the alternator to over-charge the good battery cells.
I was driving on the freeway and my car started to make a weird noise. Pulled over to the next lane for the next exit. It automatically died and locked up. I kicked it in neutral and forced it onto the shoulder. Roughly a week or two before that I replaced the alternator and it was running great.
Is the alternator at the heart of the charging system?
Dan Ferrell writes about do-it-yourself car maintenance and repair. He has certifications in automation and control technology. The alternator is at the heart of the charging system of your vehicle. Alternator problems and charging system problems can affect your vehicle in different ways.
How can I tell if my alternator is working or not?
If your not getting a reading from there you can check your output from your alternator. Make sure you ground your multimeter, and put the power side to the stud that is coming out from the alternator (should be nut holding your wires that go to your battery).
Where does the generator relay plug go on an alternator?
The alternator harness goes to the fusebox and that diode or the “generator relay” that Mitsu calls it hangs around the fusebox. Then, you have those 4-white wires that go into the fusebox between the 100A fuse and the fusible link. Click to expand… I just need the one for the “generator relay” plug.
Why does my car not start with a new battery and alternator?
With a new starter, battery, and alternator (assuming you have not drained the battery attempting to start it), the starter should attempt to crank over the engine. If the starter does not make any noise when the key it turned to crank over the engine, you have an issue with the fuses, or the circuit.
Where does the charging warning light go on an alternator?
Black and yellow goes from the alternator plug to that generator relay. Blue wire goes from generator relay to that interior harness (C25) which goes to the instrument panel wiring (My 3rd pic the plug on the left) which looks to be for the instrument cluster for the “charging warning light”. Click to expand… Gotcha.
Can a car battery be drained by an alternator?
While you might initially think that any problems with electrical things like lights or radio not working are directly related to the battery, the alternator is actually where most of the power in your vehicle comes from. Consider that if you were to leave the lights of your car on overnight by the next day your battery might be drained completely.
What should I do if my alternator keeps dying?
The alternator is essentially a generator and it keeps your battery charged while supplying additional electrical power for the other systems in the vehicle. If you have a new alternator and your battery keeps dying on you, then there’s definitely a problem that you’re going to need to look into.
What does a generator relay do on an alternator?
From the Mitsu manual: “The generator relay functions as a backup for the flow of electricity to the rotor coil (field coil) if there is a disconnection or damaged wiring of the charging warning light.” It actually is a resistor and diode in series but looks like and is referred to as a relay.
Black and yellow goes from the alternator plug to that generator relay. Blue wire goes from generator relay to that interior harness (C25) which goes to the instrument panel wiring (My 3rd pic the plug on the left) which looks to be for the instrument cluster for the “charging warning light”. Click to expand… Gotcha.