Had the brake and battery lights go on. Turned off the engine and turned it back on and they were off again. Tested voltage on battery with engine off and it was 12.7v, and with engine/headlights/ac/radio on it was 14.43v, so those seem normal right? Drove for a couple days and bat/brake lights have not turned back on yet.

The interior dash lights are a bit dim, and clock dims a lot when turning headlights on.

I'm suspecting alternator is starting do die, what do you guys think? I had alternator die on me once before, and I had the same issue of clock getting very dim when headlights on, once I put new alternator the clock was bright again.

By the way, how many miles can our car drive before stalling if alternator totally fails? I know to turn off all the electronics to save battery power.

 

Just going off what you said. Id'e suggest having the alternator tested but not just for voltage. You want to See the " Diode matrix" the Graph.

Second, make sure the thermostat housing is not leaking into it drip by drip.. This issue alone has caused many Headaches.

You could have a Ground issue, check the terminals. Back the bolts off and clean them and re snugg them down. If its going to fail, it will fail when its hott. My realistic answer is, if you think its suspect, go ahead and swap it out, and don't wait for it to leave you stranded.

 

Thanks for your input. I forgot to mention the alternator is covered in motor oil from old leaks that have been patched, I think that's what's killing it.
When you say hot, do you mean hot weather or hot engine? And how many miles do you think I could drive if alternator fails in this car?

 

What I mean is after a heat Soak, the alternator gets hott after about 20 mins of driving is when you may need to have it checked also. When its had time to fully charge the battery after a drive. If the alternator does fail, you might could drive 3-4 miles at Max on battery power. But not far..

 

I disagree, If your battery is fully charged you can make it a lot further than 3-4 miles before it runs out of juice so long as your mindful of your electrical usage (radio, hvac, lighting).

Ive had the pleasure of alternator failure on my Maxima, Pathfinder, and the wifes Murano.The maxima made it about 20 min (mileage unknown) with running lights on and headlights on intermittently, pathfinder was a good 40min (30-35 mi)with cheeks clenched and everything off.

If you want to push it, chances are you can still make it home when (not if) the alternator dies.

I'd replace the alternator now because its just a matter of time before it kicks the bucket.

 

Agreed. It’s most likely on its way out and likely to go soon. I had a similar problem with the batt and brake light flashing for a split second every once in a while to a point where I was initially doubting that I even saw it. Voltmeter would show 14.3ish so it seemed good however when driving with a cheap Bluetooth obd scanner plugged in I was able to see that it would intermittently drop down to 12.7v for a split second triggering the light then jump back up. Could only tell this from the graph readout of the voltage. Either way. She’s most likely on the way out.