MDeezy

iTrader: (27)

I’m scratching my brain on this one. 95 Maxima. Thought the battery was dead and it just needed a jump. Jumped the car waiting 4 mins, drove 2 feet car lost power and died. Jump the car again (starts up effortlessly), waited drove ½ a foot car died. Next Day, jumped One more time, put the hand break down, car lost power and died again.


Battery is good.
Alternator is good.
When the car starts, it will rev fine in park (auto)

Yesterday I hear the sounds of electricity like something was draining power. I started to loosen the positive battery terminal and the noise went away. Sounds like something might be draining power. I didn’t find any short (still have to finish looking over).

With a good alternator and a good battery what could be sucking the power out of the car when you try to move it?

Thanks
Deezy

nitink

Do you have any after market audio or alarm. If so check capacitors on them

f550maranello2

iTrader: (2)

do this frist.. get a ammeter (amp meter) and disconnect the positive side of the battery and put the ammeter in series with it.. check to see if something is drawing current fromt the car....

MDeezy

iTrader: (27)

All stock.
I'll try that and see. I did hear an eletrical sound like something was drawing power. I started to disconnect the positive terminal and the sound went away.

I'll be testing and reporing back soon.

Fr33way™

iTrader: (23)

Voltage regulator?

I'm just throwing darts here.

MDeezy

iTrader: (27)

I got the alty tested on my lunch. A guy tested it (was his first time doing it) told me it was good. "Its giving 15 volts"

Later it hit me, 15volts for an Alternator?!!?

After work today I went to an Autozone and had it tested. . . Failed Twice! (new autozone on Hwy 29 Fr33way)
Went to a second autozone (the old one further down Hwy 29) and it failed twice.

2/3 it failed. I'm going to replace the alty and see what happenes. I figured it was the alty but was stumped when I found out it was "good."

More later after I buy and alter and new PS belt.

TurTLe*

iTrader: (11)

sounds good. over powering alt. that might cause your battery to have a bubble on the side and f that up as well.

i would replace it pairs. i had one at work doing the same thing i replaced the alt and 2 weeks later same problems this time due to bad battery, i pulled the battery out and it had a huge bulge in the side.

sky jumper

15V is fine. the spec is 14.7V. the system is designed to charge the battery at higher than 12V. if the regulator was blown you'd get nothing. there could be something else wrong with it though. get more details on the failure mode (what specific tests/parameters is it failing?). I'd suspect the "veteran" autozone guys will tell you its bad no matter what just to sell more parts, whereas the new guy was being naively honest.

Fr33way™

iTrader: (23)

I thought the magic number was 14.8?

It's been awhile since my days with audio though.

Black Maxima

Isn't the voltage regulator in the alternator?

sky jumper

yes. and the regulator is usually the culprit when there is no output from the alt.

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

yeah the guy who said your alternator was good just by checking the voltage was dumb, you need to know the amps too. Last time I had an alternator tested at the good ole' AZ they couldn't tell me either, I think the machines at most of them just have you input the car info and just check the volts and amps to the specs that are loaded in there and it spits out a receipt saying yay or ney

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

yeah pretty much, but I think on or cars it's outside the case and you can buy it for fairly cheap, I could be wrong about it being easy to replace though, does anyone know the deal with that?

ManualMaxima

iTrader: (10)

should of brought it to me man, i know how to use it. for some reason every other autozone i know of exept mine for the most part really fawking sucks

Apparition

iTrader: (5)

.. are you missing a wind deflector? sry I had to do it.

yeah MDeezy dude before mine failed, sympton of the '98 of course I started having some strange things. started idling rough and doing weird things, then came the S/C sounding whine.. and then when I replaced the Alty that all went away.

I got my for free under recall though.. (dont hurt me)

MDeezy

iTrader: (27)

I was on the way to your store but I didnt think I was going to make it before it closed.


it was the alternator. Replaced the alternator, put a new belt on (had to cut the old one) and jumped the car, and the car drives.


Thank goodness. . . now I can return to my regularly scheduled program. One Maxi back up one more to go.

MDeezy

iTrader: (27)

Brothers car started up fine, and as far as I know is driving fine so Alternator was the culprit.

the punk **** tension wasnt any help. It wouldnt slide up or down for nothing. I ended up having to cut the A/C belt, instead of easily removing it.


I honnestly thought I should have been told a read out in Amps for the alty. Its duely noted that 15v is fine for the alty, but I guess something else was faulty with it that was causing it to not put out full power, or atleast give the car enough juice to move it.