Last night I got home from work, and I was backing in my driveway and the dash,clock, everything went dim, then the ABS, TCS light came on. I pressed the gas, and they go away the lights get brighter. Soon as I let off the gas they all dim same thing, So I turn the car off go to turn it back on and the battery is dead, turn the auto lights off radio atc..wait like 3 minutes, go to start it and it takes a few grrs and it fine, lights still dim but no abs, tcs light. I need to go someplace in the morning so I go on the highway up an exit and back..Get home lights are fine no abs.tcs light all is good.
Does this sound like anthing anyones heard of, It may need a new battery but, Im afraid that in a couple weeks after the new battery is drained that i may have to replace the alternator.

 

It is your alternator. Have it checked before you get stuck on the road somewhere. They will probably want to sell you a battery at the same time.

 

Did you run through a lot of water just before you backed into your driveway? I had something similar happen to my old 626 during a heavy downpour, had to go through about 10-12" of water to get down my street and my battery light came on, revved the engine, it would go out. Once the engine dried out, no more problems. Just got the belt too wet and it wasn't quite tight enough.

 

your alt is going bad...... go to autozone or your known auto parts and get a new one plus a battery...

 

Definitely your alternator. Like DJ98MAXSE said, get it checked/replaced before you get stuck on the road. My alternator went out on my old Blazer while I was on the highway heading to Myrtle Beach for vacation a few years ago...wasn't a fun time in 95 degree heat.

 

..........alternator

 

Alternator.

Start the car and put a voltmeter across the + and - terminals of your battery. You should see 14.0 to 14.2 volts (or so) when it is running. If it is less than this, go buy an alternator and install it yourself.

If you don't already have one, a high quality battery charger is good to have. Your battery might still be fine.

 

Like everyone SHOULD have mentioned before telling you to go buy a new alternator....

check the connections on your battery, theres a chance that one of the sides is loose or doesn't have a good connection due to corrosion.

 

I already did that, when I had that strange intermittent battery low start issue, cleared the problem. But that Night I had the radio on A/c working like a horse 95+ Degrees and humid as walking into a hot wet towel. The night before I had a connection issue, and the pos terminal where the relay fuse, was on I had to re tighten it came loose for some reason. When I got the new terminal for the positive, I cleaned both terminals. Its one of those autolite batterys from advanced auto silver light forget the name.

 

Hey,
Does anyone know what ever came of this?
Did it end up being the alternator?
Mine is doing pretty much this same thing.
Thanks,
Geoff

 

why don't you try what they said?

 

yep alternator...Go to auto zone and swap it out.....be sure to have them test it b4 you walk out the store. They have been KNOWN to have some DOA alternators

 

Yep, like everyone said your alternator. New battery + bad alternator = a couple of days. Even less if the temperature is cold.

 

well im a new member and i cant start a new thread yet or something but i need help with my maxima i just got. its a 2002 and i went to get gas last night and after i got gas the car sputtered and jerked alot allowing me to barely get home which was only 3 miles away. i thought maybe moisture in the gas since it was raining out when i got gas so i got ISO HEET and put it in last night hoping it would start this morning. well it didnt start. it cranks but its like its not gettting gas. please any suggestions?

 

Well my first thought was the alternator too. But since these symptoms are the same as mine, and this post died with no actuall diagnosis, and only others suggesting it is probably the alternator. I thought if it ended up being something different, I would rather start there, and not waste my time pulling my alternator out to get tested.

 

you always can have autozone test your alternator.

 

checked your fuel pump?

 

I would check my connections first, make sure they are tight and no corrosion, inspect your battery post and your connection on your alternator. I had a similar problem a while back but my problem was that whoever worked on the car before I got it used too long of a wire and was rubbing against the engine eventually it burnt in two.

 

Well i actually got it towed to a shop and they said the fuel pump runs but it may not be pumping so idk. He said I may have bigger problems than that though because all of his diagnostics are showing that everything is working properly.