I was driving down the highway last week and my car just turned off. First the radio went off, then the speedometer went to 0 and finally the car just completely shut off. I got the car towed to a shop. They said it was the alternator and alternator cable and replaced it. I picked my car up and it died again 15 minutes after driving. Took my car back to the shop and they hooked the battery up to a tester with the car running. The battery continued to lose power right in front of us. The battery is less than 6 months old. The mechanics have no idea what the problem is.
2007-04-18 16:44:58 · 20 answers · asked by Keith M 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Could be the neutral safety switch.
check into it. That is exactly what happened to my old camaro and that is what it was.
2007-04-18 16:47:56 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
sounds like you better get another shop. Your alternator apparently is not charging the battery. This could be the alternator or a blown fuse or the shop did a faulty job. Check the fuse in your fuse block.I don't know what an alternator cable is. The wire from the alt. to the battery is usually about a 10 gauge stranded wire. Nothing special. When a "mechanic" installs a new alternator part of the job is to make sure it works correctly. The battery cable connections at the battery should be cleaned and checked for good contact. A faulty/dirty connection will not allow the alternator to charge the battery. All this should have been done as part of the alt. job.
2007-04-18 17:03:00 · answer #2 · answered by tronary 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The battery is not your problem. The charging system is not working, causing the battery to get run down. You need a new mechanic. Have them refund your money and put your old parts back in, as they obviously don't have a clue what they are doing. Get you vehicle to a different shop for a diagnostic on the system. Dealers know your car the best, and may be a bit more expensive on the original repair, but they get it right the first time and save you money in the long run. If the clowns at the shop where your car is now know enough to hook up a battery charger, get them to fully charge your battery and you can probably drive your car to a decent shop.
2007-04-18 16:55:25 · answer #3 · answered by camshaft 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
wow this sounds like the exact same problem I had with my 1983 Toyota Cressida, 7 years ago. I was told the same thing that it was the alternator. But the car kept doing it even after a new alternator. I was also told it was the timing belt but that didn't help either. Finally after the car was handed down to my younger brother and suffered several more breakdowns in the middle of nowhere my dad decided it was time to take it to the junk graveyard. The car had been in our family since 1983! Over 20 years! Depending on the year make and model of your car it might be time to part with it.
2007-04-18 16:49:18 · answer #4 · answered by Jane Z. 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you replaced the alternator did you do it yourself? It sounds like you are not getting a good ground which will cause some goofy problems.
If your alternator is working, when you get your car started your car will run off your alternator alone, it does not need the battery after it has been started. The alternator powers all your electricity for your car when it is running.
2007-04-18 16:47:45 · answer #5 · answered by eldude 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i own a repair shop and it sounds like you need to find a better mechanic,really I'm serious, because this is not that hard of a problem to find, its either charging or its not,and the battery is either good or its not,they should have also looked for a bad ground wire on it,or a loose connection ,there is a cause for this,and most mechanics always over look it the first time around,they just have to slow down and check it better,they will find it,but it takes time,good luck with it hope this helps.
2007-04-18 16:52:05 · answer #6 · answered by dodge man 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well if you have a new alternator make sure the battery cables are clean and tight, also the fan belt is very tight. Sounds like you need a real mechanic.
2007-04-18 16:54:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Batteries CAN short out internally.
they need to do a drain test on the battery. They might have sold you an alternator you didn't need.
They probably put a charger on the battery while they changed the alternator.
Take the battery back to where you bought it.
2007-04-18 16:52:21 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bad battery, or a really bad short / ground in your system? If those mechanics couldn't find it, I'd try a better shop. take it to an interstate battery store or similar place. they may be able to test your battery, and check for grounds.
2007-04-18 17:08:14 · answer #9 · answered by Joe 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look for short circuits in the Alternator harness or other wiring. I think what is happening is that when the wire heats up the short becomes more pronounced and robs lots of power.
2007-04-18 16:48:31 · answer #10 · answered by dedication62 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just because the battery is new does not mean it is good. If they did a load test on the battery and it won't handle the test, then the battery is faulty.
2007-04-18 17:07:23 · answer #11 · answered by ButwhatdoIno? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋