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Is my alternator dying?

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Old Feb 12, 2006 | 07:52 PM
  #1  
black97's Avatar
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Is my alternator dying?

Ok here is the problem. When i start the car and turn on my head lights (at night) and after that i turn on fan inside and also rear window heater the headlights and gauges seems like getting a bit dimmer for like couple of seconds. it happens only when it's cold outside but when the car warms up the issue goes away.
What do you think it might be
And alternator also makes a little humming sound all the time i thing it's just a bearing inside.
Old Feb 12, 2006 | 07:53 PM
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Simple check. Start the car, then pop the hood and unplug the battery. If the car dies, your alternator is dead/dying.
Old Feb 13, 2006 | 12:07 AM
  #3  
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Originally Posted by archangelcomp
Simple check. Start the car, then pop the hood and unplug the battery. If the car dies, your alternator is dead/dying.
Don't do this... You'd be running a very high risk of screwing something up. Disconnecting the battery on a computer controled car while its running can cause the voltage being fed to your electrical system to surge upward pretty significantly. If I were you, I'd bring it to autozone or some other shop and have them check it for you. Or check it with a multimeter.
Old Feb 13, 2006 | 06:23 AM
  #4  
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Call your Nissan dealer. SOME models around the time period of yours had the alternators recalled.

I have a 98 GXE. Approx 138k miles. Had a whiny sound that changed with rpms. Drove it w/that for about 9-12 months. No problems, really. Then one a.m. last month battery (new) was dead. We boosted it and it stayed charged till the next a.m. Leaving for work that next a.m. it was clear the alternator was dying... lights dimmed, fan slowed, radio lost sound, engine bogged down. I killed all unnecessary electrical and drove like crazy to get as close as possible to repair shop. ALMOST made it. It died and I was able to coast to stop on road shoulder. Called tow truck and had it towed to dealership. They replaced alternator for NO CHARGE (recall). My only expense was the tow.

Give your VIN to the service dept at the dealership. They'll tell you if it is recalled or not. Then get it replaced anyway.

BTW, you don't know me. None of you do. I'm trying to fill in my 15 initial posts so that I can post my own question. Did this irritate anyone else? Doesn't it seem to create the very spam they're trying to prevent?
Old Feb 13, 2006 | 06:53 AM
  #5  
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I have a 97 and it had a bad accessory belt. Took it to a dealer and had it replaced. I brought the car home and the battery light was on after a day of driving the car and no accessories like wipers, air con, and radio worked. I disconnected the negative battery lead and the engine shut off after when it's still suppose to run. I figured the dealer broke the alternator. I went and got a new one and replaced it myself and I put everything back myself and didn't miss anything. I ran the car and disconected the negative battery lead and the car still shuts off. Later after driving it for a day the car would run for a few min and than shut off because the car was running on the battery the way it is now and the battery ran out of power. I put in a new battery and the car runs fine but the engine shuts off when I disconnect the battery and I'm guessing that battery wont last long since the car is running on it and not the alternator.
Does anybody know what is wrong?
Just a few min ago the car died on the road with someone else driving it. They called me and told me about it. Someone else is going there to see if it's possible to start the car and take it to the dealership where the problem first started and if not have it towed there.
Old Feb 13, 2006 | 08:14 AM
  #6  
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yea do not unplug the battery... it acts like a big capacitor and when you unplug it you will get a voltage spike....
Old Feb 13, 2006 | 10:08 AM
  #7  
black97's Avatar
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Originally Posted by AuburnFan
Call your Nissan dealer. SOME models around the time period of yours had the alternators recalled.

I have a 98 GXE. Approx 138k miles. Had a whiny sound that changed with rpms. Drove it w/that for about 9-12 months. No problems, really. Then one a.m. last month battery (new) was dead. We boosted it and it stayed charged till the next a.m. Leaving for work that next a.m. it was clear the alternator was dying... lights dimmed, fan slowed, radio lost sound, engine bogged down. I killed all unnecessary electrical and drove like crazy to get as close as possible to repair shop. ALMOST made it. It died and I was able to coast to stop on road shoulder. Called tow truck and had it towed to dealership. They replaced alternator for NO CHARGE (recall). My only expense was the tow.

Give your VIN to the service dept at the dealership. They'll tell you if it is recalled or not. Then get it replaced anyway.

BTW, you don't know me. None of you do. I'm trying to fill in my 15 initial posts so that I can post my own question. Did this irritate anyone else? Doesn't it seem to create the very spam they're trying to prevent?
Just came back from nissan stealership they gonna check my alternator tomorrow and probably will change it for FREE
Old Feb 13, 2006 | 01:33 PM
  #8  
97Se5spd's Avatar
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I have almost a similar problem. But no noises, and my lights dim when I press the brakes. Where altenators recalled on early 98's? I think mine was manufactured in Sept 97.
Old Feb 13, 2006 | 08:11 PM
  #9  
black97's Avatar
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I don't know for sure but i've heard something about 97-98 on stealership they sayd that the problem only on some types of alternators (differense hiding in stamps on it)
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