I was driving my car that by the way is old but run well and the battery light turn on and stay on until I got home..I have no idea what that means and I'm scared to drive the car now.. I'm afraid that my car will die in the middle of nowhere .. does anybody know what the problem is?? I know I have to take it to mechanic but I'm even afraid to take it there is kind of far from where I live.. what should I do?? and if there 's a problem is it too expensive to repair??? help!!! and happy new year!!!
2006-12-29 17:38:18 · 7 answers · asked by CAJA 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
I have a dodge neon 1997
2006-12-29 17:59:09 · update #1
it could actually be the alternator on it gone out,,or it has just lost a good connection, either of the two will make the light come on,you will need to have the charging system checked out really good ,it may be something serious ,but either way you wont be driving it too far ,before the battery will go dead in it,good luck ,hope you get it going,happy new years,
2006-12-29 17:45:54 · answer #1 · answered by dodge man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OK first I do not know what kinda of car you have or what year it is. But this is a little info that may help..
When the battery light is on it means one of 2 things the usual thing is the alternator is not charging. Yes this can cause your car to "die in the middle of no where" or the battery will run down and the engine will not start again.
2 it could mean the alternator is overcharging. Which will cause the battery to boil over and destroy it.
Reasons this is happening first, open the hood and look to see if there are any belts missing, if there are you may not want to drive it anywhere, may cause engine to over heat. second the alternator maybe bad, may have faulty wiring or bad battery cables.
Any competent mechanic should be able to diagnose this in a few mins.
any questions let me know... I have been a technician for 17 years now... happy new year
2006-12-29 17:56:36 · answer #2 · answered by truckfxr 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When the lite goes on. It means that there is a problem in your charging system. Possible causes can be as simple as a blown fuse, A worn or loose belt. Neons have 2 belts. One for ac and ps.The other is only for your alt. Check your terminals make sure they are clean and tight. If Available use a voltmeter to check bat. state of charge 12.5 v. If all is good. U probably have a bad alt. A good shop will have no problem in performing an alt output test and bat. load test. To be honest with you. trying to drive a car with the alt lite on is not recommended. You are running off the battery. When the bat. runs down to around 7 v. The engine WILL stall. It needs the alt to keep recharging. On the cost. I only do the repairs. My guess is 1.3 hrs labor plus alt and belts.
2006-12-30 01:18:36 · answer #3 · answered by chico 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Typically the battery light would indicate a dis-charge state in the charging system. Possibilities include: alternator going out; possibly due to brushes, wiring inside the alternator getting fried, diodes shorting out, the voltage regulator not woking properly, faulty wiring in the charging circuit, or the battery not holding proper charge (not very likely). You are right in having to take it to a mechanic get at least tested, although an auto supply store will be able to test it as well.
2006-12-29 17:50:13 · answer #4 · answered by R.W. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means that your car's alternator is not charging the battery. Could be the belt which connects the pulley on the alternator to the pulley at the bottom of the motor has broken. Maybe one of the terminals on top of the battery is loose or disconnected. Could be other problems too. And yes, it could die and leave you stranded. Get it checked. Good luck.
2006-12-29 17:53:46 · answer #5 · answered by miketwemlow 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be on due to poor connections at the battery post..but could be coming on due to the alternator is not charging and in order for the car to maintain, it draws what is needed from the battery..First, clean battery cable ends and post. see if the battery light still comes on...If it does, remove the battery and get someone to take you to parts store and let them check it..
2006-12-29 17:49:59 · answer #6 · answered by gotspeed7883 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It usually is an alternator problem. Stop by your local Autozone and ask them. They're pretty good about helping with minor issues.
2006-12-29 17:42:59 · answer #7 · answered by Robert H 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋