3rd altanator in 2 weeks! WHAT MY PROBLEM!!

[Big Tymer]

Hey i am on my 3rd alt in 2 weeks! first one totaly shot which was in my car for about 9 months. 2nd one and third one worked for about 2 days then started only pushing out 10volts.

I have NO idea why heres some info i got

Battery meter in car reads OK for first couple days
Battery was tested as GOOD
altanators are brand new (rebuilt) from oriely

the only prolem with my car right now that i know of is my headlight on the right side low beam is out... but i cant see this leading to a problem like this?

anyone have andy expierence with this? thanks

[95Batmobile]

I just went through exactly the same thing.
original alternator went out, got a brand new AC delco.
That one went out 10 months later, put in another brand new AC Delco.
That would went out about 10 days later, put in another brand new AC delco that i am using right now with no problems.

Sometimes you just keep getting bad alternators.

[Big Tymer]

any other ideas before i go grab another one with the lifetime warranty i got?

[camaro_speedemon]

Swap out your battery this time two. Your battery may have gone bad.

[fenderman]

I would think that a bad battery would either show up as leaking or develop a no-start symptom. I agree with the statements pointing you towards a few bad alternators in a row. I know it is a bit inconvenient, but at least you have a warranty on them.

[TReX]

that's odd, same thing here. I bought the car and 10 days later..which was last sunday the alternator went and I was stranded. $200 later we're back on the road but make sure you buy the good one with lifetime warranty then you don't have to keep buying them. Hope for the best. hah.

[camaro_speedemon]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by fenderman:
I would think that a bad battery would either show up as leaking or develop a no-start symptom. I agree with the statements pointing you towards a few bad alternators in a row. I know it is a bit inconvenient, but at least you have a warranty on them.<hr></blockquote>

The reason I said that is the same thing happened to my friend, he went through like 4 alternators in a month. It turned out his battery was bad.

[57s98Camaro]

There is definitely something else wrong with your charging system if you've gone through 3 alternators. I'd try looking at the other components, like the battery for instance. I believe Autozone has battery testers that will test to see if the cells in your batt are OK or shot.

[fenderman]

camaro_speedemon,
You could be right just as well as I could be wrong. I'm just giving some advice on the trends that I have seen from working at the garage. I'm only here to help, and realize that you are too, so don't worry... I'm not trying to dismiss your idea.

[Big Tymer]

as said in the original post.... batery was tested ok.....
i talked wallmart into giving me another brand new battery anyways
got a new one then got a new alternator

check ALL wires i oculd possible see under the hood to see if there was nay shorts...... no problems what so ever...

I have no idea what to do now... i guess take it to a mechanic... the though of someone else putting thier hands on my car scares me

[BirdmanV6]

What are the warnings when a alternator goes out. I think mines on its way.

[TheV6Bird]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by BirdmanV6:
What are the warnings when a alternator goes out. I think mines on its way.<hr></blockquote>CHECK GAUGES light will come on, your tach and speedo will fluctuate a lot rapidly (turn your signal on and watch the needles react when your arrown comes on). Also, if you go WOT, your voltage gauge will drop somewhere in the yellow (mine did that).

[MustangEater8251]

have you checked your alterantor to battery wires, when mine were corrded and going out I had alot of these similar problems.

[Dominic]

Do the new ones come with new voltage regulators?

Are you sure its the alt and not the voltage regulator?

[NSolano]

well my dad had a similar problem in his 87 sable, his battery died or his alternator went bad, so he just bought a new battery and alternator and looked all over the car and underneath, and it turns out he found some cables that were cut and grounded, so they were draining all the power, maybe u could check all your wires and see if they are messed up.