Ok, so Saturday my alternator died. I got jumped a couple times and got home. Sunday I got a new alternator. I pulled out the battery and had it charging while I replaced the alternator, which took a few hours. After I did the install everything seemed ok. I was driving it all around fine. It is now Monday night. Actually very early Tuesday morning, and as I was going up an onramp, my headlights went out then sort of made their way back on. My battery light came on too, then a blinking airbag light when I was about to stall. What the heck is going on? Everything seemed fine when I did the new alternator. Any ideas what could have gone wrong? Why is the thing dead already?

 

Check all of your connections and have your battery tested.

 

All the connections to the alternator are correct, and to the battery. I guess when I get a new alternator I'll buy a new battery. I don't get it. It takes charges fine. It was charging fine...when the alternator worked, it worked fine.

 

Did you test BOTH the batery and the alternator? Go to pretty much any automotive store, and they have the testing machines on site.

 

Greg, what do I look like...a himbo?

 

Sorry, Ste... uh, Mike, won't happen again.

 

Idea #1) You said you got a new alternator. Is it really new or is it remanufactured? Some reman outfits do a first-rate job, while others are "spray and pray" ripoff artists. I've heard some horror stories about reman alternators and starters which lasted less than a week. Some were BOB (Bad, right Out of the Box).

Idea #2) You said your battery charges fine. That is not a guarantee of a good battery. The hallmark of a good battery is that it takes a charge and holds a charge.

Many auto parts stores offer a no-cost charging system test. This is done with an electronic tester and takes only two minutes. Please have this test performed.

 

It was a remanufactured alternator. It was a ProStart or something like that. Pep Boys was the only place with an alternator on a sunday, so that's what I got. Supposedly they computer test them.

 

Doesn't this charging system test only test how much charge the battery has at the moment and not the how good/long the battery can hold the charge? I was told this from the battery guy at Sears last night as I was looking into getting a new one.

 

The Sears employee gave you incomplete information. Please see the Haynes repair manual, page 5-3, Battery - check and replacement. It explains four battery checks ...
a) Battery state of charge test
b) Open voltage circuit test
c) Battery load test
d) Battery drain test

 

pay the extra money and buy the OEM Hitachi from Nissan. I have been to the Hitachi reman plant and they do a first rate job.

 

anybody know how hard it is to fit an optima battery in a max??