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Well, Friday afternoon I started having a problem with the Camaro. The volt guage inside the car is pushing close too 18 on the read out. It tends too raise higher with higher RPMs or acceleration. The battery died and I got a jump before I went out too the track. I drove it too the track with the needle pegging between 15 and 18 the whole way from Holland. If I shut the car off for less than half a hour the car needs a jump. I didnt have any problems the whole time I was at the track with it, and it ran right even at high speeds and pulled my best time ever during this time period (13.26 @ 104). Well, after leaving the track it began too do the high voltage thing again and has not quit since then. The battery keeps a charge for a very small amount of time between sitting. Any long times and it is dead. I drove it too Autozone and had them put it on the test machine. It came back that the alternator was only giving 6.5 out of 102-105 amps it is suppose too push. This is odd as everything gets really bright and there is alot of power going too everything when it is running. The guy said it was my alternator. This confuses me because any other time I have bought a alternator it has been because the vehicle could not keep any power at all due too low charge return from the alternator. This is giving alot of charge (more than it should obviously) but the battery is needing a jump from lose of juice from sitting. This makes me believe that something is crossed or not grounded correctly and that it is not the alternator at all. It seems something would have popped like a fuse or something, but nothing is out of the ordinary except for the excessive power surge at higher RPMs. What is your opinion on what this could be? Any check suggestions I might look into? If this is a alternator problem does anyone know where I might pick one up for cheap and get it right away? I want too make it too the Lane Auto Show this coming weekend and would like it fixed by that time...
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Did they test the Alt. on, or off of the car? If they did it on, pull it off and have them check it seperate. Also, check what the battery voltage is. If it's not around 12.5v, charge the battery, and then have them do a load test on it. Last but not least, check your Battery conections, especially the ground cable at the block end. One of these should get you charging correctly again. It sounds like it's probaly the internal regulator gone bad, or possibly a stuck brush. Hope this helps. Good Luck. -
They tested it on the car. I can pull it and have them test it also I suppose. The battery I am sure is not any good because of being drained dead and recharged so many times along with its age. the car only has 54K on it, so it seems odd for the alternator too go with the mileage not being too excessive yet. I race it alot though so maybe that just put some extra stress on it? Anyhow, I will get it tested off the car before I buy a new one for sure. Thanks for the input.Comment
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It's toast. The internal regulator is bad. I had the high voltage/bright light thing happen on my Olds Calais. It would surge and everything would get bright and then things would start flaking out. I replaced the alternator and it worked fine. I believe on newer cars the regulator is built into the circuitry of the alternator and can't just be replaced on it's own.Comment
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Cool Wade and Jason. Now I just got too figure out where too get one at a good price...Comment
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Check Advance Auto. I picked up a brand new one for my Sonoma for a few bucks more than a rebuilt one at other parts stores. It also has a lifetime warranty on it.Comment
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I just got off the phone with a guy from Rods Auto Parts in Zeeland. He said that I should go too Quickstart in Grand Rapids and the guy will rebuild it while I wait and offer a 1 year warranty for about $50. Otherwise there is only 3 in junkyards in the state of Michigan. One is in 3 Rivers for $60.Comment
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Ok, I tore off the alternator yesterday. It was like one big electro-magnet and was surely junk. My brother gave me a ride too Quick Start in Grand Rapids and I got a rebuilt one for $48 out the door with a year guarantee on it. Well, we put the new alternator in and started it up. It sucked my battery dry. I limped it after a jump start from my brothers Mustang (I guess Fords can be good for something LOL) to Autozone. They did a check on it while still in the car and said the battery was good, but the alternator we just put in was junk because there was only -1.5 amps coming out of it. I was kind of upset about it at this time. I waited for them too put a charge on my battery and limped it home again. Then we tore out the alternator again. I took just the alternator back too Autozone and had them test it. The alternator showed up good. So I called Quick start and told the guy what was up. He said he would rebuild mine and have it ready by the time I got there and swap it back out. Before leaving for Grand Rapids I called Jeanette Automotive and asked him what the problem could be. They said that it could be the battery, so I picked up a 730CCA NASCAR battery and went too Grand Rapids for the swap of the alternator again. The one we tore off turned up good on his tester also, but I thought maybe something could be wrong with it anyway and took my freshly rebuilt one home. We installed it and it it started right up and was running good, but the power was kind of low in the volt guage, so I drove too Autozone again and had them put it back on the checker while in the car. It turns out the same...battery good, alternator only pushing 4.5 amps now. I know the alternator and the battery are both good. This leads me too believe that there is a problem elsewhere that is stealing power from my battery and alternator. I think it is in the EBCM as it sounds like there is a slight fizzle sound coming from it when the key turns forward. Does all 4th gens have this sound when the key is turned forward but not started? I couldnt get it in the shop today, but need too have some kind of idea what the cause is. I can still drive it, but how far before it dies and needs a jump or a charge is the question. What would suck all that power? No bad fuses, and it happened out of the blue...Could my PCM be throwing bad codes or something? I am beyond confused. The older motors were so easy too diagnos, and this is very flustrating. Any ideas?Comment
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are they forgetting to apply the load to the battery? If they don't then it will only put out like 5 amps.Comment
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I believe they did. The needle on the volts guage even with the new battery and alternator is sitting in the top of the red on the left of the 13 while running.Comment
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Yours sounds like it is pushing a bit much...is that common? When mine was right, it ran around 12-14ish...Comment
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Usually when running they are over 14. My truck is the same and is a bit higher after I replaced the alternator on it.Comment
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