Power light on, hesitation, & freaking out Climate System???

[DansBabyGurl]

We just picked up our '94 ATX last Friday from a dealer 100 miles away. It ran great the 50 miles to our old house, and while loading to move my husband wanted to listen to the stereo for awhile. He had it on ACC. for maybe 45 minutes total. After that I took it to the store and notcied that my battery/power light was on, and it was hesitataing a little, like it wanted to die a few times at low speeds. It never got a chance because I would give it gas as soon as it acted pissy. Then on the way to our new house (50 more miles) it continued to act this way the entire time. At 55 it drove just fine, but the battery light was on the entire trip, and the climate system would go blank for a few seconds, then display gibberish for a few seconds, and then back to normal. It never actually died until my husband was going to drive it 3 blocks to autozone, and it stalled in the drive!! Is this all just a bad battery? Alternator?? Something more serious? Any quick way to check? THANKS!!

 

[SonicRiot]

Check:
-low batt
-alternator not charging correctly
-bad terminals
-short to ground/open circuit
-bad or fried EEC or PCM

Break out the DVOM and start hunting. Run codes if you can, first. Use the paperclip method on SHOtimes.

EDIT: BTW, if it is from a dealer, shouldn't it have a 30 day warranty or something? Take it back if it does.

<small>[ March 02, 2004, 10:25 AM: Message edited by: SonicRiot ]</small>

 

[AutoSHO]

Sounds a lot like a failed alternator. Pull the battery, and get it tested at Autozone, Advance, etc. If the battery checks out, put it in the car and start it up. Check the voltage with the car at idle. It should have 13.5v or more. If it does not, clean all the terminals on the battery and alternator and check again. If it still is not charging, the alternator is most likely dead. You can pull that and take it to Advance/Autozone and have it tested as well. Chances are the alternator is what is bad.

I agree with the post above, the dealer should be footing this bill.

 

[DansBabyGurl]

We cleaned off the terminals, but they were clean to begin with. It was after the cleaning that the car finally stalled out. We do have a 3 month/3000 mile warranty to cover up to $500. I'm just hoping the dealer doesn't tell me they need to see the car! There is no way in **** I would drive it like that again given my choice. I seriously doubt it would make it. We'll pull the alterator and battery tomorrow and run them to autozone. I know that a non junkyard alternator for this car would be expensive! Glad that is covered in the warranty! Would a bad alternator be the reason the climate control system goofed?? Too much power being drawn? Just wondering, they definitely are all related to the same problem though! Thanks!

 

[SonicRiot]

Why should a new alternator be any more than $500!?! I say take it back and make them pay for it! That's what a warranty is for.

Alternator problems will be one of two things:
1. Undercharging
2. Overcharging

Overcharging is less of a common case and causes lights to be VERY bright, radios and EATCs to freak out and go on and off on their own free will, especially under acceleration, and will fry the **** out of fuses and computers if the charge is anything more than 15V.

Undercharging is more common. Nothing will seem to work right. Lights will be dim, spark may be weak, and the car may stall.

But did you ever get the alternator wet...or did the dealership while washing something...such as the engine bay? Do a physical inspection of the alternator...look for rust, bad connections, and a bad pulley wheel.