Here's the deal:

12.5-12.75V measured at battery when vehicle off.
Clicks heard when attempting to start for a few attempts, engine doesnt turn over.
Buildup on negative terminal.
When I have the ket at ACC, have my stereo on, and try to flash my highbeams the power goes off.
Lights are not dim, battery seems fine.

Is this my alternator? If so, it sounds like I get it rebuilt rather than buying a new one right? Does any garage rebuild these? Can I just buy an aftermarket one?


Could it be a bad ground?!?!

Thanks for the help guys.

 

Do you have an automatic transmission?

 

Check the terminal voltage when you are cranking. If it dips to below 11.5, your battery is in need of a replacement.
You can take the car to any local Pep boys or Autozone and they'll do a free diag for you. Most of the time, alternators are replaced with rebuilt units with a core return. You havn't been driving very long, have you?

 

I was driving it fine, and I walked away(turbo timer).... the next day I tried to start it up and this happened....

And Im manual Jonski...

 

I have the same problem. Someone recommended disconecting power to the antenna because it drains the battery at start. I've gotten my battery tested and it checked out fine. I thought the battery was the main part of starting the car and the alternator just keeps the car running. If anyone one has other ideas that would be great.

 

Update > I get about 13.8V when I finally got it started after it sat 2 days. It barely started again after I shut it off. So the battery is fine.

So is it just a lose ground somewhere? I think there might also be a "flapping" sound that matches the frequency of the crank pulley that seems to be coming from the area around the UIM...?!?!?

Anyways, Im going to start regrounding everything... any ideas?

 

Anybody?!? Im stuck... I remove my turbo timer to see the harness for it was the issue, I have checked all of my splices and all seem fine... The only thing I did was clean my engine bay between the time it was good and when she stopped cranking....

Are these symptoms of the alternator going bad or simply a poor ground somewhere?!?

Any help - please!

 

SO when you crank it, you hear the starter clicking? If you hook up jumpercaples to the battery does the car start?

If u dont hear clicking from the starter, get on teh side of teh car, and smack the starter with a blunt object a few times and then see if she starts up.

But only if when u turn the key the starter doenst click but lthe lights dim and such.

 

And regrounding everything is a good idea even if it isnt a problem

 

OOps, I just read that u hear the clicking.. Did u clean that build up on the terminal? Id check the grounds an clean the terminals. IF it was your alternator your battery would lose power constantly.

 

Yah I cleaned the terminals....

The only other thing I can think of is a short in the engine harness... does that make sense?

It wouldnt start today, but it started yesterday.... it just likes to pick when it will start

Also, When I have my key turned to 'ON', my ABS and check engine light stays on and doesnt go off like the others... is this normal?

 

wait.. so sometimes when u turn the key, do the lights just dim? but no turning over or clicking? if it does that, then read my post 3 up about banging the starter.. your starter could be on its way out, working sometimes and not working others.

 

It clicks every time I try .... until I try so much, it stops clicking and the lights die. It only starts up every once in awhile... and when it does, it barely starts, and it sounds like a huge vacuum right before startup... I am totally lost right now.

 

Turns out it was a loose ground that seems to be on the starter circiuit. It was an electrical clip close to the fuel filter area where I pulled a wire through the firewall, which knocked the clip off...