Riff

well after being stranded out of town for the 2nd Time this week I am left with no other option but to hit the forums. I started to search for a one with an alternator issue but 210 posts in i have to assume that I am tge only one with a bad alternator.

I bought the car a year ago next month from (WACK @$$) carmax for 17 and some change with 92xxx... and I made the stupid mistake of purchasing a $1700 service plan to assure my mobility for at least the next 3 years.**DO NOT BUY FROM THAT CROOKED PLACE**..

Long story short... the end of last week I drove it to the next town and when I went to start it back up it would not. I figured that the out dated battery had gone bad and replaced it. The gentleman at the store where I bought the battery tested my battery and alternator after installing the new battery. He informed me that the alternator had faild the test.

VERY skeptical on the diagnosis, took it to (carJax) where I had to pay 120(EVEN THOUGH ITS UNDER WARRANTY) for them to tell me (there is nothing wrong) with my car. 4 days later, here i am stuck out of town for the second time IN A WEEK! with a brand new "dead" battery....


SO my question is.... if A clerk at oreilly can find a problem with my alternator in 2 minutes and a BIG BAD auto service could find nothing wrong after 2 hours of testing..... "is a alternator even a likely scenario? "

Before I go choke a b**ch at this dealership... i just need more insight.

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

Sucks that CarMax is playing games with you on that alternator. Even if you have a brand new battery, having a faulty alternator that doesn't charge it during operation will cause the new battery to drain quickly. Which is probably very likely what you've got going on there. $170 at AutoZone for a lifetime replace warrantied reman unit and an afternoon to install it.

Have you checked to see that while the car is turned off and sitting that it isn't pulling an amperage load? I have read of several 2IS owners having such electrical issues, which will drain the battery too.

GL!

JdSwiper

iTrader: (4)

Sounds like a alternator to me although I'm surprised it to that long for the battery to die! They'res a old trick to see if you alternator is good or not.. While the car is running, disconnect the Postive battery terminal. If the car stalls it's the Alternator, if it stays running its something else. The battery is only used to start the car, the alternator is what keeps the vechicle running. I've done this test dozens of times in the past so I know it's accurate!

Riff

So its been a week now. It's still saying the voltage regulator is bad... but i hasn't died yet??.....


IM DOWN GRADING NEXT YEAR!!

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

Maybe a call into CarMax Corp HQ might help? Just explain what you're experiencing and however they're replace it as a customer-satisfaction issue.

GL!