HELP! Dead car...again Charging problems
09-18-02, 09:02 PM
#1
HELP! Dead car...again Charging problems
My car keeps going through altenators, I have used 3 now, one of the altenators was good for sure, and now it too is dead. My car will not charge it'self, I is like it is only running on the battery.
history about this machine: 86 GXL
Got it from someone in South Dakota who hooked up the battery backwords, and fried a few things in the car. I changed out all major computers and electrical componets off my donor car, and it appeared to be in correct working order for some time, 2 months. In those 2 months I had to switch out my already new battery once with another new one, and it ran for another month or so, and now here I am.....
I switched to a known good alternator last night, the ampers were fine, way above +12 with the car running. I turned the car on this morning and the ampers were a little lower, say 11. I then went to work and came out it had about 10, and then it started to beep thats when i parked it.
history about this machine: 86 GXL
Got it from someone in South Dakota who hooked up the battery backwords, and fried a few things in the car. I changed out all major computers and electrical componets off my donor car, and it appeared to be in correct working order for some time, 2 months. In those 2 months I had to switch out my already new battery once with another new one, and it ran for another month or so, and now here I am.....
I switched to a known good alternator last night, the ampers were fine, way above +12 with the car running. I turned the car on this morning and the ampers were a little lower, say 11. I then went to work and came out it had about 10, and then it started to beep thats when i parked it.
09-18-02, 10:44 PM
#4
Driving RX7's since 1979
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Suggestion
The power feed from the alternator runs to a joining to the wire that runs from the main fuse under the hood to the ignition switch. The other side of the main fuse runs to the battery and it is through this wire your battery is charged.
The regulator that allocates the charge to the battery is inside the alternator. So, simply by replacing the alternator, you already dealt with that possibility.
My guess is the wire running from the alternator to the main fuse is broken at the junktion I mentioned. Try running a heavy guage jumper wire from the alternator to firewall side of the main fuse. You should then get charging to the batter for sure.
This isn't unusual. I actually had the wire running from the junction to the ignition switch break away at this junction. It happens.
Good luck.
The regulator that allocates the charge to the battery is inside the alternator. So, simply by replacing the alternator, you already dealt with that possibility.
My guess is the wire running from the alternator to the main fuse is broken at the junktion I mentioned. Try running a heavy guage jumper wire from the alternator to firewall side of the main fuse. You should then get charging to the batter for sure.
This isn't unusual. I actually had the wire running from the junction to the ignition switch break away at this junction. It happens.
Good luck.
09-19-02, 11:56 AM
#5
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Have to check everything.
I had an alternater go bad. Put out the correct voltage but a diode in the alternater went bad. This also cooked the battery. New battery, new alternator volia.
May have a drain on the system when the car is off. Check that too if you haven't already.
I had an alternater go bad. Put out the correct voltage but a diode in the alternater went bad. This also cooked the battery. New battery, new alternator volia.
May have a drain on the system when the car is off. Check that too if you haven't already.
09-19-02, 12:04 PM
#6
Engine, Not Motor
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If the battery was connected backwards, EVERYTHING electronic has to be replaced. Who knows what was damaged....
But I tend to think there is a short somewhere, causing a much higher current than normal to be drawn from the alternator. This kills it, and the battery in the process.
Your flickering dome light is due to dirty switch contacts. Remove the switch from the door sill on each side and clean it thoroughly, the soak it in oil to prevent corrosion.
But I tend to think there is a short somewhere, causing a much higher current than normal to be drawn from the alternator. This kills it, and the battery in the process.
Your flickering dome light is due to dirty switch contacts. Remove the switch from the door sill on each side and clean it thoroughly, the soak it in oil to prevent corrosion.
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