ok, So about less than a year ago my altenator went out on the max.. i replaced it and everything has been fine.. yesterday my Battery light came on, on my way home from work. Then everything inside the car started to get dim... Including the Headlights. I barely made it home. pulled into my driveway. shut the car off then tried to start and it wouldn't. So i'm like ok maybe its the battery.. i haven't replaced it in a while. So I went and picked up a battery... put it in, the car started but the battery light is still on. Now i think this could be 1 of 2 things...

1: My altenator is dead... (which sucks cause i just replaced it)

2: Bad generator???





Appreciate any and all help i could get on this matter.
Thanks!!

 

"bad generator"??? Or are you talking about the voltage regulator (which is internal of the alternator, I believe)?? In either case, it sounds like an alternator problem again. Get your alternator "load tested" at Auto Zone, Checker's, or one of those places.

 

Why did you just go and buy a brand new expensive battery without even knowing if that's the problem? I would first bring the battery into AutoZone or something... and then get it load tested. If it tests GOOD, then yank your altenator and get it load tested.

I got a remanned alty a couple months ago and it failed 2 weeks later. I claimed my warranty after getting it tested (it failed) and I installed the new remanned alty and everything has been fine. It's not unusual for a remanned alty to go bad in less than a year. If you tired of replacing it, call up Courtesy Nissan and get the real deal. For me, I will just keep claiming my lifetime warranty for as long as I own the car. It's not hard to change the altenator.

 

definitly sounds like a bad alternator....

 

I just thought you might want to know that you blew my mind with number 2.

 

1st get a multimeter (digital is best) and then set it to volts. Crank the car and hook the multimeter positive lead to the positive post on the battery and the negative to a metal part of the car. Hooking the leads to the alt. is best if possible. If the volts read greater than 13.5 then the alt. is putting out fine. Less than 13 volts then it is bad. Make sure the lights, radio, A/C, heater and anything else using juice causing a drain is turned off to get an accurate reading.

Another option is to crank the car and disconnect the battery. The car should run on the juice from the alt. If the engine stops the alt. is bad. The battery is mainly for starting the car, keeping the memory settings in the radio and computer and spikes in demand. Also a bad battery can burn up the starter on a car. Less volts means more amps are pulled.

Also check the water in the battery and make sure the posts and post's clamps are clean.

 

:rant: yeah, remanufactured alternators are pieces of ****ed up ****. i think the one I just bought for my se is dead. it died in less than a few hours. happened to me once before. world class or whoever the hell they are needs to get their act together because i'm sick of these stupid alternators. :end rant:

at least i have a lifetime warranty...

 

You have a bad alternator. Within less than a year, you might still be under warranty if you still have the receipt. Next time, its better to have your alternator rebuilt from a rebuilt shop rather than buying one from a chain parts store.

 

BTW when was the last time you saw a CAR with a generator?

 

There's a couple mid 50's Ford trucks with flathead 8's on the lot...they have generators

 

I did say cars but I'll accept that one anyways

 

We did a rebuild on a 51 Chevy last summer, Babbet motor and a generator.

Two items not seen these days.