OK...Batt and Brake light on...Check.

Pulled and cleaned all my connections (both batt terminals, alternator connector and ground and all the grounds around the alternaotr). Still have the lights.

Checked the voltage across the battery while the car was on and it fluxuated between 12.03 and 12.09. I know thats not proper either.

So, since the battery is showing 12 volts I am best off pulling the alternator for testing, right? Because the voltage across the car while running should be in excess of 14 volts.

Reason for noobish question: I am down to one car and the wife needs it (work) and its not cost effective to drive her there and back so I was going to pre-order an alternator from a parts store and pick it up on the way home. The charge to restock the alternator is 20% (DOH!) but its the only place in town that has it in stock.

Just need some feedback is all.

 

voltage across the alternator should be 14.1 to 14.7 volts while charging. If you have a advance/auto zone near by they can confirm the failing alternator. You may also want to check the fuse/bus links that go to the alternator for faults.

 

I think all electrical components go through the battery, therefore if you remove the battery with the car on the car will stall. This procedure doesn't identify the faulty component. Although i do agree that bad battery will affect the starting, and i'll add that enough starts with a faulty alternator will deplete the battery to the point other components will suffer: ie starter
My opinion is you may have a bad voltage regulator, which is internal, or just an exhausted alternator either of which warrants replacement.

 

Car starts fine. I have heard that doing that procedure will tear up an alternator, so I am not going to do that.

13.7 across the alternator, I know where alt ground is, but there are two wires on the connector..white and black I think. Or do you measure across the in a different spot?

 

NEVER, I repeat, NEVER, disconnect the battery with the ignition switch ON, which includes of course, don't disconnect it with the engine running. It does sound like it's the alternator that's the problem.

 

Ha I was wondering if that Alt test trick worked on a maxima. I would never recomend this test on any computer controlled vehical. however I will tell you this trick does work for testing Alternators on older vehicals very well.

 

wow, Sorry I don't know that~

 

Don't do that, I was wrong.
go to autozone and have them checked will be a good idea.

 

the black wire goes to ground, white wire goes to a fusible link. I would measure across the battery with the car running. It still should read between 14.1 and 14.7. I'd also try different grounding areas to rule out bad grounds. Like check batter Positive post to alternator ground, and battery post positive to battery ground on chassis.There should be a large red cable from the alternator to the battery, pull back the rubber cover and check voltage there too

 

Bad alternator. I purchased one from the local parts place and had them test it PRIOR to leaving the store.

I tested it according to the ESM and it was bad. So I installed the new one and it runs great. Took back the old for a core refund and when they put it on and the bearing was howling. The tech readjusted the belt a couple times but it never went away. It finished the test and of course failed.

I always thought that noise was from a bad belt because as it warmed up the sound went away. *shrug*

 

Good post.
Thanks for following-up Colonel~!

How many miles on that Alternator??
I think you should stop running those high-wattage stereo systems....

gr

 

Funny man you be! Stock stereo. As a fellow rider, you should know the note of the engine is more sweet music than anything else

Alt only has 57K on it. The car was having issues a couple months ago. I think in reality it should have been replaced then, but I got lucky and got a couple "freebie" months by cleaning up connections and so forth.

In my inspections, I would recommend people go look at the alternator connection itself. Maybe mine is a fluke, but I cleaned them all up a month or two ago and they were all corroded again.

When DaveB gets back this week I am ordering a harnness that connects the compressor and the Alternator to the main trunk.

 

Need a suggestion guys.

My car started doing the battery and brake light thing last Saturday. When I was above 2K RPM I could get it to shut off. I stopped by Advance for an in car test. Showed bad alternator. I limped the car home (2.5hrs) and took out the alternator. Took it for a rebuild and it tested good. Took it to Advance for a second opinion and it was good. Said the belt was probably slipping. I got around last night to reinstalling it with a new belt and it fired up at 14.54 volts. Let it run for 5 minutes or so and the light is back on. Voltage across the battery and off the alternator pole was 12.04. I cleaned up the battery and grounds. Is this a bad regulator??

 

Can't tell you how many times I did it with my bimmer...

 

Yup, when the brake light and battery light both come on, it's the alternator. I had that issue except it would come one and off at different times. I was searching though the Pepboys catalog in the store and noticed the 2000 Maxima had the same part number as a lower amp rating alternator of a later 90s Maxima where as that same model had a higher amp option... I don't remember which year it was. So I'm now wondering if the higher output alternator would or should work on the 2k or 2k1

 

I was just about to applaud the op for checking all of the connections well, most people assume it's the alty if the battery and brake lights come on, but it can even be as simple as a fuse, and not just the big 120 amp one either, if fuse #70 (10a) blows pin #3 at the alternator (Y/r wire) will not give the regulator the voltage required to energize the feild coils and the alternator won't charge. But anyways, good find on the alternator, the higher amp one (that is also cheaper) can be ordered for a 96'ish? I30, the only change required to run the I30/gle (or any cheaper 4th gen) alternator is to tap the bushing over, it's ridiculously simple but I still did a write-up w/pics here: http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...e-i30-one.html

 

cant they test the altenator for you in the car?

 

I had an in car test done and it revealed a bad alternator. When I removed the alt and had it tested out of car, it tested good at 2 different places. Their verdicts were to tighten the belt b/c of slippage. I did just that and one time it would read 14.5 then the next 12.04. Finally I took the alt back out and had the guy replace the regulator. Reinstalled and so far so good. Haven't driven much, I have been driving the wifes "new to us" 2006 Yukon Denali (love it).