OK,
Here is the deal, car is 96 SE with over 200K on it, battery has been dead and car not started for a while. I put a new Batt in it and it started right up. Then SMOKE alternator has internal fire, but it out with baking soda.
Now WHY would the alternator that was working fine before (batt was dead from car sitting and not being started, not an alt. prob) I do not want to just start throwing parts at it (like alt.) cause I am in very poor health and spending every spare penny of freakin doctors. Looks what I have is terminal but I need to get to appointments and back. Anyway.....anyone ever hear of this before? what could have caused it? I checked all the fuses and nothing blown so whatever it is the alt. does not to seem to have taken out anything with it.
Thanks for the help in advance...OH I am in south GA if anyone could help me..I can not hardly scrape my had against something without ripping a hole in my skin (side effect for what I have) I have ALWAYS done my own car repairs an now I am in a bad situation.....
I just doen't what to buy a alt I really can't afford then have it catch fire too
Thanks again
John

 

IIRC 96's original alternators were prone to alternator fires, it's a TSB.... IMO i'd replace the alternator.

 

not the 96, the 97's had the recall on them

 

is the battery connected correctly...positive to positive?

 

Yea like if the battery was installed backwards with the red lead going to the negative terminal and the black lead to the positive. I know it's a long shot. Good chance even if you did that you alt would not catch fire. That's why cars have fuses so that they don't catch fire due to excessive current flow.

Other then improper connection at the battery it would probably be a faulty alternator.

 

hey 2maximas, on a side note, i hope your ok and anything you need help with let us know. feel better bro..

 

I have a 98 and my alt caught on fire about two years ago.
I can't tell you what made your good one turned bad after the battery swap.
I had my rebuilt (they replaced the diodes) and it's fine since. That saved me some money on a new (or new-used) one.

 

Thanks man,
being ill is the worst in the world especially when no one can "fix" ya, would not wish this **** on my worst enemy...part of my problem is my skin has got so thin if I just bump a hose clamp or something I bleed, so working on my cars (which I have done all my life) now is a real *****!

Thanks for the Maxima alternator advise, that thing is a real **** to get to....I have some mechanix gloves, and wear those, and a long sleeve tshirt with duct tape over the tshirt from the gloves to my freakin elbows, looks like hell but it works! (look like a cheap stage effect robot from the 50's si-fi films RONFLMAO)
Thanks again,
John

 

my maxima worked. stood for 1 month with a bad battery, and the alternator died as well