I've been having an intermittent issue with my charging system lately so I've been doing a lot of Web surfing trying to figure out if the alternator could be intermittently 100% good, then 100% bad. It didn't make sense to me. I thought it was a wiring issue for sure. I saw too many people replacing the alternator as soon as the battery and brake light came on, and I didn't want to do that if the alternator wasn't bad.

After reading this article, which just so happens to use a 97 Maxima in the example, I fully understand it. I recommend this article be added to the stickies. Maybe even copy/pasted in case the article is ever taken down. With credit given to the author and website of course.

http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/service-advisor-tips-on-solving-alternator-failure-issues/

 

Glad this helped you, but please get a copy of the FSM before any other information blows your mind.

 

I have a copy. Please ask before you make an *** of yourself again. And please enlighten me on where it says anything about intermittent alternator failure in the manual.

 

I'll go ahead and help you out by letting you know that information about the charging system is on pages EL-36 through EL-40.

 

 

 

Couldn't agree more. That article gives you basics, the FSM gives you details.

 

Again, point me to the page in the FSM that gives the details. I couldn't find anywhere that talked about the possibility of an intermittent failure.

Start producing page numbers, or take your leave.

 

 

You obviously have no idea what you are talking about. I have searched the manual. You on the other hand, obviously have not.

 

 

Be gone troll.

 

While the article the op referenced is written in an easy to understand manner, I don't see where it talks about how to diagnose intermittent problems. The only advantage this article has over the FSM is that it discusses some of the battery conditions that could also create problems and be mis-intrepreted as an alternator problem.

Troubleshooting a problem with anything requires that you know how said device works in the first place. The Nissan FSM tells you how things are supposed to work. The article did not because it was trying to be generic. And even then, it mentioned things that could fail and didn't tell you how to diagnose it; example - the diodes in the alternator.

The article was a rather basic article. And that's good because people starting out working on cars don't have extensive, detailed knowledge. Knowledge is something you acquire over time, either from written information or experience. More likely it will be both.

I have a comment and question for the op.

In your one post, you referenced page numbers in the service manual. One thing you need to know when doing this is that you have to tell people what year vehicle the service manual is for. The page numbers are not always the same in each year's service manual. As an example, in the 1999 FSM, page 39 is the beginning of the charging section.

In your post that gives page numbers, what manual do you have? I have a 95, a 96, a 97, a 98 and a 99 service manual. The charging section does not start on page 36 in any of them. Could you give me the year and Nissan publication number of the manual you have? I would like to research that.

 

I think you are looking at info on the alternator. That doesn't start until 39. Look at the top of the page on EL-36 in the '97 service manual. I have all of the service manuals as well. I have the google drive link that was passed around. I will post a screen shot, one second.

 

Okay, I'm not going to post a screenshot, but here's the link to the FSM manual I am using where the charging system DOES start on pg EL-36


https://drive.google.com/folderview?...QyNzkyNjE5OGJi


I read that entire section, and no where did it say the brushes in the alternator may stick and cause your alternator to work intermittently. In simple terms, or in complex terms. No where.


And btw, I never said that it helps diagnose intermittent alternator problems... It describes what can happen inside an alternator to cause an intermittent problem.

 

 

Either that ^^ or you are looking at the pdf page number rather than the actual manual page number.

 

It's funny, the charging system starts on page EL-36 in the FSM that this^^ knuckle head posted too. I think now the question is, what manual are you using?

 

 

OP pulled a trick bag on ya, this is clearly a joke

 

 

:d

 

powned???

 

What the heck guys... No more BS please.