OK I am driving on the Garden State Pkway and I turn my O/D off so I can pass this car in front of me. All of a sudden my brake light and my battery light comes on at the same time. My radio also cuts out at the same time. Then all of a sudden everyhting is back to normal. What the heck, fourteen years of driving this car and I've never seen this happen. Any ideas on what this can be? Has this happened to anybody else?

 

I would say the diodes in your alternator are failing. They usually start to break down at higher rpm when output is higher (you downshifted).

 

x2..

 

i think alternator sounds right

 

i would get that alternator replaced before it eats up the battery.

 

Please get you battery checked with a load supplied. This tells you if the battery is ok under load and also if there is a partial discontinuity insde the cells. The charging system can then be checked at the same time. Normally the charging light lights up on alterantor issues.
Also check the ground wires and connections.
The Alternator can be checked after this.

 

Thanks, I'll take it to Autozone and do a quick check.

 

Man I can kill this mechanic I just had an alternator replaced just a year ago. Had the same problem, one day battery was dead, later found out it was my alternator. Thanks I will take your advice and check this ASAP

 

Maybe I have a bad alternator then...

Recently I have been having problems with my lights / radio / radar detector turning off and on. Then the engine will stall when everything shuts off, and back to normal again. Finally the engine will just die while driving, then the radio and all the lights come back on. The car has died 3 times so far, but it always starts right back up and is good for a few more days.

 

have you checked for a lose connection at the battery? maybe a broken terminal or cable???

 

It's all good there. When I bought the car, the battery was shot and the negative terminal had a penny wedged in it. I put a new battery and terminal on. When I first put my amp in, I put the amp wire in the middle of the positive terminal. It was loose and would sometimes prevent the car from starting, so I moved the amp wire to the outside of the clamp and it fits snugly now.

 

sounds more like a bad ground never heard of faulty lights??

would just die if that was the case

 

same thing has been happening to me when im racing around town it will just stall on me (I have an auto) It has happened 4 times last month. When I put a multi-meter on the battery it shows 12 - 13.5 normally when it is off and when it is on its a solid 13.5 I thought at first it might be my battery not charging properly but then again it is a yellow top and I did buy it a year ago so it should last longer then that. I think you guys are right about the alternator going considering the Maximas alternator sucks.

 

Well the dealer told me they couldn't duplicate the problem on my "aftermarket" alternator. They did perform a load test and check out to see if the alternator was charging properly. Drove the car back at 30 mph, no problems. I wonder if I should bite the bullet and get a new alternator anyway. I'll keep a close eye on it.

 

Just a note...a load test will not show failing diodes.

 

We have 90+ heat in NJ today and I took the car on the Garden State Parkway. With the AC running as soon as I went past 2100 rpm the dash lights came on (brake and battery). The AC revved up a bit at the same time. As soon as dropped below 2000 rpm or hit the brakes, dash lights went off and the AC slowed down to normal. Am I on borrowed time with this alternator?

 

I would say not only borrowed time but you are risking every other electronic component in the car as well. Your ac "revved" up because the voltage spiked.

 

back when I was working on cars we had an alternator stick wfo (from pep boys)and litterally fried every electronic componet in the car (maxima) I spent like 3 weeks checking, ordering ,and replacing...the damn insuarance company would not total the car but i bet they wish they had...it was something like 10 grand iirc.
not trying to scare you just letting you know it CAN happen

 

Thank you both for that insight. I will take your advice and get a new alternator this week before it's too late. Due to my job and my schedule I can't work on the car myself nor can I even stay at the mechanic to see the work being done. I have heard in the past of bad electrical problems with the Maxima but I don't want to lose my car right now.

I'll check threads but is there an inherent problem with Maxima alternators?

Went online and checked the price for this part at a dealer and found out my former mechanic upcharged me almost $100 for an aftermarket alternator.

For those of you that can repair your cars God Bless you because I am living a horror story right now..........

 

Did you guys try pulling on the engine harness with the engine running located behind the passenger side strut tower from the bulkhead? Those harnesses are known to break wires under stress. Thats kinda how i bought my 96 for 200 bucks LOL, found the broken injector wire and voila.