I recently went to AutoZone and they checked my battery and alternator. They said the alternator was fine, but it seemed like the battery may have had a cell to go out in it. I replaced the battery and the battery light went off and stayed off the whole way home. When I started my vehicle today, which is a 1997 jeep cherokee 4wd 6 cylinder 4.0, the battery light came on within minutes. I made it all the way to work, which is 20 miles away.
Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you in advance.
2007-01-08 08:22:56 · 6 answers · asked by Mommy To Be in April 7 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
A battery light is saying that the alternator is not working properly. It does not tell you that the battery is defective. That said, it can be BOTH the battery is defective and the alternator is not working properly. Most of the time it is one OR the other, but sometimes it really is both. It is sometimes hard to convince a client of that since it is usually only one of them.
It is not too difficult for a shop to check the alternator while it is still in the car. Many places also will check it if you take the alternator out and bring it to the shop.
You should also check the belt that drives the alternator. On some cars, that belt drives everything so it there was a problem, you wuld know it right away. On others, there is a separate alternator belt and it may be too loose.
The place that replaced the battery really should have checked the belt and the alternator output. You said that they did and that is how they found the supposedly bad cell. Perhaps they didn't do a good enought job? In any case, it needs to be done again.
Inside the alternator is a regulator. When I rebuild an alternator, I replace the regulator only if it is bad. They go bad so seldom, that I don't simply replace it as a routine.
Bottom line, take it back and recheck the alternator output. Don't put this off, you need to do it today. It is not a safety issue, but the engine could die at any time if the alternator is not putting out adequate power.
The fact that you made it 20 miles is not a factor. A brand new, fully charged battery will go further than that, even with a bad alternator.
2007-01-08 09:36:49 · answer #1 · answered by DSM Handyman 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I tell you what, start the car up and let it idle, then lift the bonnet and pull the negative terminal off the battery, if the motor dies, and sounds like it would, then the regulator in the alternator is had it. if it stil runs when you have taken the negative terminal off and the warning light is stil on then the bushes have worn themselves out and will need replacing, if you cant do it yourself then buy a second hand one. cheaper than letting those sharks do it for an arm or a leg LOL.hope this helps you
2007-01-08 10:56:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Chances are that you have a bad alternator. You need to bring it to a shop so they can measure the rate that the alternator is charging and operating at. It doesn't have anything to do with your battery but if not charging at all your car will run off the battery until it dies again.
2007-01-08 08:31:24 · answer #3 · answered by Timothy S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Check the fan belt tension first...if this is not the problem next check the alternator brushes...if that is not the problem it is probably the regulator...if not that then the wiring loom may have a short in it.... thats how I would solve the problem...
2007-01-08 08:30:45 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
i've got faith this is an electro-hydraulic power guidance pump on that one, so it sounds much like the alternator isn't producing appropriate. Assuming the tension belt is there and not slipping, i could get your alternator output checked. would be a unfastened twine, would be a failing alternator.
2016-10-30 08:54:53 · answer #5 · answered by nocera 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take it to Sears and have them check it...
2007-01-08 08:26:09 · answer #6 · answered by Malia G 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋