car trouble

[BG]

OK. of all things that have to do with cars, this one always messes me up. I've had quite a few alternators replaced in my time, and I can never really know for sure when that time has come upon me.

So I drove my car, a 97 Camry (which I bought from mi Mama after she wrecked it :laugh: So neverhteless got a good deal) yesterday about three times on some various errands. It sat overnight in my driveway until about 3pm today, when I actually needed to go somewhere.(work from home) It was dead. No lights, no sounds nothing. Ran fine yesterday and I was almost positive I left nothing on.

So I got a jump from one neighbor. It took a good 15-20 minutes before it finally charged up enough to crank it and have the engine go. He left, I went inside for a few seconds, came back out, turned my lights on put it in drive and ...............dead again...

So I grab another neighbor for help, we jump it again and I drive about 7-8 miles down the road to a store where I left it right outside fo the door, with the engine running and in park. Got out of the store and wouldn't you know it? Dead...AGAIN.

Jumped by the store manager, I drove home, put the car in my driveway and let it sit there for a bit. I revved it a few, messes with the lights and windows and kept noticing how the headlights would dim out whenever I messed with something else...then of course, once again, DEAD!

It sits there dead as of now.

So is it my alternator or my battery at this point?

[TK]

You might wanna jump it off & take it to AutoZone or Advance & have them check it for free. ;)

If it's not making a clicking noise when you turn the key, I'd say it's the battery though.

[rick301]

Sounds like the battery to me - its easier and cheaper to fix too. You may be able to take it into a local auto parts store and have them check it. But with the age of the car, you may need to replace it anyway. From what you describe, it appears that the battery can not hold a charge any longer.

Before replacing the battery, check the type. If its a sealed maintenance free battery - replace. However, if it is the type that has a plastic cover over the cells, pop the cover and check the fluid level in the cells. Add (distilled is recommended but I just use tap water) water slowly and carefully until about 1/2 - 3/4 inch fron the top of the battery. Then jump again and see if that helps.

Ofter, it the problem is the alternator, you'll see a warning light on the dashboard.

Good luck!

[chomerics]

Originally posted by IAMBG
OK. of all things that have to do with cars, this one always messes me up. I've had quite a few alternators replaced in my time, and I can never really know for sure when that time has come upon me.

So I drove my car, a 97 Camry (which I bought from mi Mama after she wrecked it :laugh: So neverhteless got a good deal) yesterday about three times on some various errands. It sat overnight in my driveway until about 3pm today, when I actually needed to go somewhere.(work from home) It was dead. No lights, no sounds nothing. Ran fine yesterday and I was almost positive I left nothing on.

So I got a jump from one neighbor. It took a good 15-20 minutes before it finally charged up enough to crank it and have the engine go. He left, I went inside for a few seconds, came back out, turned my lights on put it in drive and ...............dead again...

So I grab another neighbor for help, we jump it again and I drive about 7-8 miles down the road to a store where I left it right outside fo the door, with the engine running and in park. Got out of the store and wouldn't you know it? Dead...AGAIN.

Jumped by the store manager, I drove home, put the car in my driveway and let it sit there for a bit. I revved it a few, messes with the lights and windows and kept noticing how the headlights would dim out whenever I messed with something else...then of course, once again, DEAD!

It sits there dead as of now.

So is it my alternator or my battery at this point?

Sounds like the alternator to me. You can pick up a used one cheap, or you can rebuild the one you have for under $100. They're easy to replace, usually just two bolts. You need a long pipe, or a long bar to pull up on the alternator and to put tension on the belt when you tighten up the second bolt. Good luck:)

[DaFunky1]

I agree with the free check. I took mine in because I thought my alternator was crapping the bed for the 3rd time and it was not that.

I would guess alternator, if I had to guess. I have a 93 Geo Prizm (Toyota Corolla) and I know the 93's had alternator problems. I think the orignal owner replaced the alt 2-3 times on that one. The alternator is right beside the exhaust manifold (which is prone to cracking on the 93-97 Corollas and Prizms - I just finished replacing mine tonight) and the heat from the exhaust can eventually damage the alternator. Again, my guess is the alternator.

I could be the battery has a dead cell in it, or just isn't holding a charge as well. Get it checked out and go from there. If it is the alternator, and is in the same position as mine, you might want to save the cost of labor and tackle the job yourself.

Let us know how it turns out.

[DaFunky1]

Originally posted by chomerics


You need a long pipe, or a long bar to pull up on the alternator and to put tension on the belt when you tighten up the second bolt. Good luck:)

Hey chomerics, if he was working on an old Ford I would agree with you.

Actually on this car if you use a long pipe you will never get it tightened properly. There are two bolts you need to remove, and leave loose once you have the new one in place. Put the belt on and there is a bolt between the alternator and the engine (you will need an extension for this). Tighten it and loosen it until your desired tension. Once you get the tension you want, tighten the top and bottom bolts.

Good luck.

[BG]

Well, the Alternator scares me to death, because it's cost me a sh*tload to replace on Hondas. I dunnno if I'd do it myself, but Auto Zone sells one for $185 and you get a rebate if you give them the old one, or the parts--whatever--

I don't have a jack to do it or the space to do it. So that is probably out of the question.

What messes me up is I have a battery light, according to my manual, but no alternator indicator light.

I have a final tommorow at 10:30 and was planning on going to Jazzfest immediately afterword.

Welcome to the world of MY F*CKIN BAD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!

[BG]

What I meant to say is, no lights have ever flashed to indicate a probelm...........

Oh and the water level is fine......

[skinsfanjoe]

That's what you get for buying a foreign car.:laugh:

:jk:

[BG]

Well that's it then.

thanks for the help there:rolleyes:

;)

[chomerics]

Originally posted by DaFunky1


Hey chomerics, if he was working on an old Ford I would agree with you.

Actually on this car if you use a long pipe you will never get it tightened properly. There are two bolts you need to remove, and leave loose once you have the new one in place. Put the belt on and there is a bolt between the alternator and the engine (you will need an extension for this). Tighten it and loosen it until your desired tension. Once you get the tension you want, tighten the top and bottom bolts.

Good luck.

Cool, sounds like Toyota found better uses for the good ol' cheater bar.

[BG]

Hey, i dug through my close and found the haynes manual. The alternator change doesn't look so bad....

You can acess it from atop the car. From the hood. Not too bad. It says nothing about using anything to make sure the belt stays tight........

[Drakkhim]

I had the exact same problem and it turned out to be a bad battery. Take it to Auto Zone for a battery test.

[skinamatic]

You can by a battery tester cheap. six or 8 bucks, or take it to Autozone for free. It sounds like it could be the alternator though. I hope its just your battery so you can save some buck dollars.

[Sarge]

IF it turns out to be your alternator, sometimes the Auto Zone guy will put it on for you if it's easy to get to. Well, they did for my sister anyway.

[Ax]

If you're losing power while the car is running, you have a bad alternator. Which in turn may have damaged your battery.

If the alt is not that hard to remove, take it, and the battery, to an auto parts store and have them both tested. It's the only way to know for sure. If you need both, fine. But if only one is bad, why spend the extra money if you don't have to.

Good luck.

[NASMTrainer]

Im gonna say alt as well. Most times you cant jump a car with a bad alt, but get the battery checked as well. A bad alt can damage a good battery.

[Southtown]

IAMBG, I had the exact same problem happen to me a few months ago. The scenario with my headlights getting dim was just as you described. Turns out I had a loose battery terminal.

Earlier that week I bought a new battery at Advanced Auto Parts and they changed it for free. When the car wouldn't start a few days later I had it jumped and brought it back to them. They checked it out for free and said "uh, whoever changed this battery didn't tighten it enough." They fixed it and now it starts fine.

So hopefully its a simple battery problem and no alternator is needed.

:cheers:

[Lowghost]

If you haven't done it already make sure your alternator belt is tight. If it is loose it will just drain your battery.

[BG]

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Fixed it, I think :paranoid:

And of course, the culprit was-----------
































The battery. Once I put it in, it cranked right up. Hopefully there is still nothing wrong with the alternator, but who knows? Maybe it will die again, but I doubt it.

Like I said, the battery/alternator duo is the one problem that always, ALWAYS confuses the hell out of me. I have had a few other instances where this has happened and it came at not so bad of a time, and it turned out to be just a dead battery. Other times, I've found it's the alternator. Same symptoms. I dunno. Maybe I was getting screwed.

Well, at least I don't have to work out today or run. I drove my bike with those damn batteries back and forth about 5 miles. That was rediculous. Hour up and hour back. I can't walk at all....

Well I'm off to my final, thanks for all the help and suggestions. I was really freakining out and am glad I could put this to a poll. Seriously, I had every intention of leaving the fate of my car and exams to my extremeskins bretheren. Hell YEAH!!! CUZ IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:cheers: :thumbsup:

[Mad Mike]

One simple test should tell you all you need to know. With the car running, disconect the battery. If it keeps running normaly your alternator is fine. If it starts sputtering or shuts down, it means the car was running off the battery and your alternator is shot.

[Leonard Washington]

Originally posted by Mad Mike
One simple test should tell you all you need to know. With the car running, disconect the battery. If it keeps running normaly your alternator is fine. If it starts sputtering or shuts down, it means the car was running off the battery and your alternator is shot.

exactly what i would do....you could listen to everyone else and go to autozone and get a FREE charging system check.

fyi, new batteries are designed to get you home when the alternator fails so you may be running on borrowed time.

[BG]

Disconnect it completely?

or just a terminal?

[GrapeApe]

I'm not a mechanic so I don't know if this is a valid way to test an altenator, but I did find this in a google search.

http://in.classifieds.yahoo.com/static/autos?page=main5.html


F. Test the alternator by disconnecting the battery with the engine running.

A battery is like a voltage stabilizer or filter to the pulsating DC produced by the alternator. Disconnecting a battery while the engine is running can destroy the electronic components, e.g., computers, radio, stereo, alarm system, etc., or the charging system.

[BG]

WHOA>........................

Thanks Grapeape. I ain't gonna do that now. I got a bomb-a*s syestem in there that i would put a gun to my head if I destroyed it.....

DAMN GOOD CALL MY MAN!!!!!!!!!!:thumbsup:

[John0397]

If it is the origional battery, i would suspect it first, probably worn down.

[Mad Mike]

Originally posted by GrapeApe
I'm not a mechanic so I don't know if this is a valid way to test an altenator, but I did find this in a google search.

http://in.classifieds.yahoo.com/static/autos?page=main5.html



Ooops. :D

What can I say, It's been a loooooooong time since I worked as a mechanic and most of my cars were older hot rods.

Sounds like it might not be a good idea for new cars but it works every time on older ones.

[BG]

I never tried it anways dude. No worries.

Car is running ok. I think if there was an alternator problem, it would have shown itslef by now. I just did a 20 mile drive today up and back to run an errand.

God DAMN, those bike rides this morning killed me....

I didn't have a normal bookbag. Just my shoulder bag which I had to wrap around my neck, cuz if I put the thing on oine side, it would slip off to the side and make me fall...

So I have these giant red welts on my neck and shoulders.....

Already feeling the aches.....ouch.

No running or weight lifting for me today:)