alternator not even the problem,electrical things started to go out then car stalled

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Aviation

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i guess im just going to have to suck it up and take it to the shop, i guess the alternator wasnt the problem...got it in charged the battery and the car started

but about after 15 seconds of running the radio just gives out, so i turn the car off to restart to see if it will come back on, and it wont start...so i charge the battery for another 20 minutes and the car starts again

i back it out of the garage, radio still not working then i notice the lights around the shifter go out...then the car just dies and wont start back up

some sort of electrical issue im guessing, someone said maybe an ignition coil or something but i have no idea

i guess im just gonna have to take it to the shop, i hope its not too serious

ouch! just my luck.
 
Their was a guy with a conti that was having issues sort of like this. He had a corrosion problem on a main wire in the power distribution box under the hood. Just a suggestion.
 
Okay, I know you don't want any more advice from me. However, someone else may find this thread someday.

There is a troubleshooting flowchart that you should go through before assuming that the alternator is bad. I don't have access to the gen I chart, but here is the gen II.
http://deneau.info/ls/s6x~us~en~file=s6xe0003.htm~gen~ref.htm
Gen I is probably very similar.
 
Turn the key with it running and do the system test see if it says "Charging System Ok"
 
joegr said:
Okay, I know you don't want any more advice from me. However, someone else may find this thread someday.

There is a troubleshooting flowchart that you should go through before assuming that the alternator is bad. I don't have access to the gen I chart, but here is the gen II.
http://deneau.info/ls/s6x~us~en~file=s6xe0003.htm~gen~ref.htm
Gen I is probably very similar.
Click to expand...

i dont mind advice, i just didnt appreciate your elitist laughing attitude like im supposed to be as good with cars as you.
 
Aviation said:
i dont mind advice, i just didnt appreciate your elitist laughing attitude like im supposed to be as good with cars as you.
Click to expand...

I don't want to pump up any sort of personal debate here (unlike some other members), but you are attributing an attitude to me that doesn't really exist.

My somewhat snide comment was in response to an attitude of yours that I perceived (perhaps incorrectly). That attitude seemed to be "how come all of this free advise isn't better and faster?"

My apologies if that perception was incorrect.
 
Outkast said:
?
Click to expand...

i doubt it, but i got a charger on it now just to check and see. the battery is only about 6 months old and i havent been able to drive, waiting to get my license back, so it just got started a few times a week to keep it running

so the battery is pretty now...but it has been charging for 2 hours now and isnt full, so i guess it could have been low or dead

last night when i tried to start it...i got just 1 click then nothing

before i hooked the charger up i tried to start it for the heck of it, and it was clicking like crazy...just a rapid click...odd
 
joegr said:
I don't want to pump up any sort of personal debate here (unlike some other members), but you are attributing an attitude to me that doesn't really exist.

My somewhat snide comment was in response to an attitude of yours that I perceived (perhaps incorrectly). That attitude seemed to be "how come all of this free advise isn't better and faster?"

My apologies if that perception was incorrect.
Click to expand...

no that really wasnt my attitude...before i even got any advice you were acting like i should just automatically know where it was without asking, which wasnt the case or i wouldn't have had to ask.

after i got the engine cover plastic and everything off and i could see better from the top, then i understood what it looked like and saw the "arm" etc, but from the bottom it was hard to see.

anyway that is done and over with, new alternator is in and now the car is still not fixed.

just hoping its something inexpensive

its odd cuz before with the old alternator, with a battery charge the car would run and everything would work fine...it would run until i turned it off

and after the new one was put in, it died after starting and did the things i said in the first post

i dont know, just so frustrating because im 2 weeks away from getting my license back and i want it to work right!
 
alot of strange things happen to these cars with low or bad batteries...they are very power hungry...youd be suprised what a low bat. will do.

"clicking like crazy" battery was low and only actuated the solenoid

"only clicks once" battery is even lower and can only click the solenoid once.

my neigbors ls had a bad cell in his battery. if he left his lights on auto for even 10 seconds, the car would not start. if he shut them off, the car would...if the bat. is only 6 months old, take it back, it probably has warrenty...

but I'd bet 3 paypal cents its the battery...:D
 
well, it is still charging...been over 2 hours and isnt on full so it has to be atleast low if it wasnt dead to not say fully charged...

but i really didnt think it was the battery because i got one like 5 months ago and havent been driving since i got it, just starting it to keep it running and keep things moving, but maybe the new battery then was bad or something made it die
 
thats one of the worst things to do to a battery...let it sit...plus how long did you let it run? probably would take 30 minutes or so before it would be fully charged.

when a battery runs dead, it kills its life a bit...everytime it runs low..it kills it even more.

and x100 if its a motorcraft bat. they are even worse
 
if the car is gonna sit anymore, you should invest in a battery tender.
 
nah its not going to sit anymore, im getting my license in 2 weeks so ill be driving it daily again.

but yeah what you are saying could make sense...rarely ran it for 30 mins

usually 15 maybe
 
just think about it...not only has it gone low from siting..even while the car is off, it uses small amounts of juice...then you start it....that uses alot of juice, and then it does'nt run long enough to charge...it never gets fully charged and slows its life...
 
yeah i guess ill wait until this one is fully charged and see how it runs, and if need be go get another battery

guess i wasted 160 on the alternator
 
take it back....unless you f'd it up, you barely used it...maybe you can trade it for a battery...


after all, you should be able to do it with your eyes closed now...:D
 
Outkast said:
take it back....unless you f'd it up, you barely used it...maybe you can trade it for a battery...


after all, you should be able to do it with your eyes closed now...:D
Click to expand...

haha, yeah...but i really dont feel like taking that damn thing back out and putting the other back in after last time.
 
ok after 3 hours still not charged, but tried to start it, and it started right up, got it running now

the radio is working but there lights around my gear shifter and lights on the radio and heat/ac were all off as well
 
ok turned the radio off while i let it run, went out to play with it a bit...radio wouldnt come back on...

headlights and all work, but the lights around the gear shifter still are not lit...

also while i was sitting in it the traction light came on the dash and i couldnt turn it off...then it went away and i could turn it on and off...then back on before i came inside

also the top lights still arent working normal...but even when they were messed up before the car still ran fine, but i cant turn them on at the same time, if i have the left on and i hit the right it turns the right on and the left off, and the lights in the door flicker when this happens

so i dont know i guess thats intertwined with this issue, but like i said when i had the issue before the car still started and the battery stayed charged

the battery light is also still on

arghhh its probably something stupid hopefully
 
ok in the owners guide the battery light being on means the battery is not charging properly, requiring electrical system service.

well damn thats vague!
 
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