Hi, I have a '96 chevy corsica, this morning it started making a humming noise when I stop and right when i start, like at red lights. So I took it to my mechanic and he said the power steering pump is whistling and not to worry about it yet. He said he needs to order the part, and that its ok to drive -just that if it breaks it may be hard to steer. So i picked the car up and now about 4 hours later i was driving and my ABS light came on? then like 2 minutes later my radio went off, then my speedometer started jumping all around, so i drove straight home and the car was driving really rough. When i turned it off at home, now it want do anything. When I turn the key it doesnt make any noises. My interior lights come on, but not the radio? Any ideas? My grandpa said he thinks it sounds like my alternator? ~THANKS!
2007-03-26 11:05:00 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Your interior lights will still work with as little as 8 volts, but everything else will start acting up. Don't listen to Z. Your car can run for hours on the battery if the alternator quits. Charge the battery up and see if the car starts ok. Then you can check the battery voltage while the car is running. If the alternator is bad it will be 12 volts or so. If the alternator is good it will be around 14 volts. The mechanic was probably just guessing. Alternators make noise when they're going out just like power steering pumps.
Also, check the belt for oil. If the power steering pump bearing blew, it could have soaked the belt and made the alternator slip.
2007-03-26 13:56:23 · answer #1 · answered by Nomadd 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Your problem is not the alternator. What the alternator does is recharges the battery. The alternator does not affect the driving at all. If the alternator did go out your car would run for about a minute or so and would die and not start, it wouldn't however make the radio or any lights come on it would just simply die.
Your mechanic could have installed the power steering pump in wrong or didn't get the belts tight. I would call him and ask him to take another look at your car.
2007-03-26 11:25:27 · answer #2 · answered by z 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
like what Z said, it's not the alternator. If you're having lights turn on and off and your speedometer is acting all goofy it's probably something with the battery, do you have a lot of build-up around the points?
maybe it's your serpentine belt, if it's too worn out or too loose it won't work your alternator correctly, or any of your other pumps for that matter.
2007-03-26 11:33:34 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your battery is 5 years old, you need a new one. Otherwise, have your battery terminals and cables cleaned and retightened at the same time you have the battery "load tested" to make sure it's good. They will also check your alternator charging voltage to make sure the battery's being recharged while your driving.
2007-03-26 11:14:19 · answer #4 · answered by bobweb 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am not a mechanic, but it does sound like it could be the alternator. If you have someone that can remove it from the car, then you can take it to most autoparts stores (AutoZone, PepBoys) and have it tested.
2007-03-26 11:10:18 · answer #5 · answered by IFlyGuy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋