<font color="green">I know, I know. You all can beat me , whip me, stab me, make me write bad checks but you will not match the wrath I will meet if I can't figure Mama Rash's daily driver problem out. A link to a more appropriate message board will be greatly appreciated. The problem... A few months ago we were driving to Mama's parents house an hour away. About 1/4 way there the battery light came on and the battery started discharging rapidly. We limped it in to her Dad's. You will be happy to know that, while the gauges and every other electric component shutdown, including the DRL's, the clock on the radio still worked. Anyway, we charged it up, spent the night, drove it around the next morning and it was fine we headed home. It did it again. Only this time, as we were about to get stranded, the light went out and the battery started charging again. It has been fine ever since. Til this morning. Mama works barely over 4 miles from home and she called to tell me that it discharged so fast, she didn't even make it to work. So, the battery tests fine and so does the alternator. Anyone know what kind of voltage regulators these things have and where and if they can cause this problem or not? Thanks, Sorry RASHY </font>
No, you'd like to be whipped and stabbed and whatever else....but I dont have any experience with this particular car. You sure theres not just a bad ground somewhere? My moms car was doing the same thing and it turned out being a bad ground somewheres Good luck finding the problem
How was the alternator tested? It sounds like that could still be the problem. Those alternators are internally regulated so if it's that it would still be in the alternator. This could be an intermitten problem. Short of being a wire shorting out somewhere, I'm at a loss. I'm not one to start throwing parts at it to fix it, but I would think about taking it to an alternator shop for them to test it. Tell them your scenario and you should get the answer you want (or not). Good luck, Reverend Jake
This has been my experience with late model GM trucks. Check the ground under the driver side dash. I think they still grounded to the dash frame. Had one doing something very similar and finally had someone tell me about the ground under the dash. Second these freakin' trucks will leave you stranded if the alternator or the battery gets too weak. I was flying down a major highway and everthing just shut off. It ended up being the alternator. We tested it a couple of times and seemed to be ok. Replaced it and problem never came back. Troy
I agree though about the tests, I don't think they are all that accurate. I had one tested on a previous car and it kept coming back fine, but ended up tossing a spare one on I had and I never drained another battery
Ain't intermittent electrical problems FUN?! Without being able to see your ride and get all touchy-feely with it, I can think of a few things that might help steer ya in the right direction... 1. Short. When you describe the the battery light came on and it began rapidly discharging, that almost suggests a short somewhere. Had a similar problem on an old 4x4 turn out to be one hanging wire that would randomly contact the header and short out...until you hit a bump and it popped off again! Look at any wires under the dash or hood...especially if the vehicle has had things like aftermarket audio components, an alarm system or off road light installed. These are prime spots to look for careless routing and insulating! Also, if the vehicle has had any collision damage repaired, check over your entire harness. Not all collision shops are real good at putting the harness back in place correctly. 2. Ground. As mentioned, a bad ground will cause headaches, but bad grounds are rarely intermittent. Make up a heavy gauge wire with large alligator clips on each end. If you can get the problem happening in the driveway, connect the wire from the negative battery cable directly to where you suspect a bad ground...the dash bracing, body, etc. See what happens. (Just don't touch it directly to anything "hot", Sparky!). 3. Bad battery. Older batteries collect sediment in the bottom of the cells. Over time, this CAN build up to the point where the stuff can short out one or more plates internally. It's rare these days, but something to think about. Hitting a bump can start or stop the problem as the stuff settles. Have your battery load tested. If it's more than three years old, just replace it. Beware of cheap, garbage batteries. Some of these fly-by-night batteries work your alternator to death...I never believed it till I saw it happen on my old Monte Carlo! I stick with AC-Delco batteries and they've never let me down! 4. Belt slipping. Probably not the case here, especially on vehicles with serpentine belts...but I've seen many v-belt slip enough...and do so QUIETLY (especially on Olds 307-350-403 engines) to look like they're turning, but they aren't keeping up...especially under a load! 5. Cheap drugs. Sure you ain't just trippin' Holmes? (I covered all this and more in my long burried "Electrical Gremlins" post...but for YOU, Rashy...I don't mind repeating myself once in a while!!!)
<font color="green">Thanks guys, I will check all this **** tonight, or, I will get AAA to haul it to the dealer and pay the $100. deduct and then they will not quite fix it, or not be able to duplicate it, and they will break something else while they are in there. Then they will tell me how the warranty doesn't cover it or the diag charges so BEND OVER chump. Why didn't she listen to me when I told her not to buy the warranty? RASHY </font>
<font color="green">Well, I dropped my brand new Optima battery into this pig and she fired right up and made it home. I turned everything on that I could think of and then started rolling the windows up and down. Eventually the batt light came on. I turned everything off and watched the gauge. It maintained. Got home and pulled Optima. I noticed some battery acid? on positive post of oem battery. Took rubber boot off pos cable and this. as you can see, a considerable amount of corrosion that seems to go into the cable itself. I'm guessing this is part if not all of the problem. Can this be cleaned up sufficiently or should I just get a new one? The red runs to some junction box beneath the batt pan and the black appears to run to the starter. How much you suppose the dealer wants for that bad boy? RASHY </font>
<font color="green"> KREIKIE!!! I just realized that this damn cable splits again at the aformentioned junction block and runs back to the alternator. CHA-CHING! RASHY </font>
<font color="green">I did a Google search and found out to use baking soda and water. That really works!!! Looks brand new! I found another post that said to use vinegar. That was cool!!! Forgot all about the reaction. Cracked my head on the hood though! Now it looks real good. Do you suppose it's clean enough? Can it corrode far enough into the cable to keep giving me trouble? Thanks for the response Jerry. RASHY </font>
Rashy,Put some grease on those cable ends to stop the corrosion.Also,New cars with mucho electronics are hard on the cheap batteries that they manufacture these days.Also check w/ an ampmeter that your battery is not discharging slightly when the engine is off.This would indicate one or two bad diodes in the alt.It will charge fine when running but drain the battery when parked.
Dude, I would definitely replace the cable. Cleaning it will get you by, but it will corrode up into the cable where it can't be reached. I've have had similar corrosion problems with distributor wires on late model F-bodies. Replace the cable and put di-electric compound grease on all connections. Zip it up and you'll be fine in that dept. Reverend Jake
<font color="green">Update... New battery, the old one took a charge and tested good but is leaking acid at the positive side mount so, new battery. New cable. That ***** was 74.28 at the dealer. After all that? No good. I get 12.47 +/- volts across the battery and from the alternator to ground, engine off. I get 12.04 volts alternator to ground, engine running. That tells me there IS an alternator problem. At least it will start and run now. RASHY </font>
I drive a tow truck and 95% of anything I tow manufactured by GM is either battery or alternator related, the stock ones are all ****. If you havent installed the new cable yet take it back and get a universal top mount style, the side mounts **** big time. If you are going to keep the stock style DO NOT tighten it down to much! Finger tight and a 1/4 turn with the wrench is plenty. Spray some WD40 on it whenever you check the oil and it will keep the corosion from coming back. Hope this helps... Muttley.
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