Posted: 8/30/2013 8:02:29 PM EDT
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I've been having some car troubles lately. I've got a 2000 Nissan Maxima, it's old, but until recently it seemed to be running just fine.
I just replaced the alternator, and the belt that powers the alternator and AC compressor. That belt also goes under a tensioner pulley. I noticed that the engine sounded different for a few days but I couldn't find the source, then one night I smelled burning rubber or plastic, and I popped the hood to see an orange glow coming from somewhere down in the engine compartment in the area of the alternator. It was dark, so I couldn't see exactly where, but I had a general idea. The pulley, and AC compressor seemed to be normal. The alternator seemed normal at first, but the bearings felt like they might have had a small rough spot. The windings inside the alternator looked fried, they looked orange in some spots, black or darkened in others. That alternator failed a bench test miserably, so I was satisfied I had found the problem and I replaced it and put the new belt on. Now the engine noise seems normal, the car starts and runs great. However, I have noticed that sometimes I will see the brake and battery lights flash for a second when the engine RPM gets low, for example the lights sometimes flash once when I let my foot off the gas to slow down. I think I've seen it blink on just for a second, a few other times. I am positive that I reconnected all of the electrical system correctly and securely. Is this a sign that I have an electrical problem elsewhere, do I have an alternator that's bad out of the box, is my battery fried, or what? I'm out of ideas. |
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I'll go over all the connections and stuff tomorrow morning, and do the tests I can do without pulling the alternator.
If this doesn't go away after cleaning up all the connections, or if it fails the voltage test, I guess I'm going back to the store for a new alternator and they're going to bench test that one before I bolt it in. |
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Quoted:
do a voltage test. see what it is putting out. it is not uncommon to have a bad one out of the box. seen it enough, that I have them test everything before I walk out of the store with any electrical part. that behaviour sounds like low voltage. The part in red. Too bad most of the parts shops I've dealt with don't take back the bad alternators that they sold.z |
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I pulled both connections to the battery, the alternator output, and the grounds on the engine block, degreased them, sanded the contacts to clean them to bare metal, cleaned away the junk, used some battery grease on all the contact points and hooked them all back up.
I still have the same problem. I put a multimeter on the battery with the car shut off and got 12.7 volts. Started the car, and it dropped a bit but I don't remember how much. I do remember that it didn't seem to get above the 12 range until I passed about 2,300 rpm when it suddenly started putting our 14 volts. I'm thinking alternator right now. |
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Quoted:
I pulled both connections to the battery, the alternator output, and the grounds on the engine block, degreased them, sanded the contacts to clean them to bare metal, cleaned away the junk, used some battery grease on all the contact points and hooked them all back up. I still have the same problem. I put a multimeter on the battery with the car shut off and got 12.7 volts. Started the car, and it dropped a bit but I don't remember how much. I do remember that it didn't seem to get above the 12 range until I passed about 2,300 rpm when it suddenly started putting our 14 volts. I'm thinking alternator right now. Running you should have 13.4 volts to 13.8 volts at the battery. If all your connections are good, clean and tight you have an alternator with a leg already going bad, get a new one. |
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Quoted: Running you should have 13.4 volts to 13.8 volts at the battery. If all your connections are good, clean and tight you have an alternator with a leg already going bad, get a new one. Quoted: Quoted: I pulled both connections to the battery, the alternator output, and the grounds on the engine block, degreased them, sanded the contacts to clean them to bare metal, cleaned away the junk, used some battery grease on all the contact points and hooked them all back up. I still have the same problem. I put a multimeter on the battery with the car shut off and got 12.7 volts. Started the car, and it dropped a bit but I don't remember how much. I do remember that it didn't seem to get above the 12 range until I passed about 2,300 rpm when it suddenly started putting our 14 volts. I'm thinking alternator right now. Running you should have 13.4 volts to 13.8 volts at the battery. If all your connections are good, clean and tight you have an alternator with a leg already going bad, get a new one. Check around, there may be an automotive electrical place that actually rebuilds that stuff in your area that does a good job, we have a place here that does. The place I use is more expensive than Autozone or Advance, but still cheaper than the dealer and builds damned good parts. |