ok about 4 days ago driving home from work my battery light comes on follow by everything starting to dim then Stall. I get it jumped and drive home with everything turned off and it stalls again in my drive way.

Now after alot of reading, testing, and searching, i come to figure its my alternator. I replace it and car is back and running again UNTIL tonight....

I start my car, and my 2 compressors turn on, everything seems fine i back out and while driving everything is fine, I come to a stop and behold, battery light, then car stall.. i jump the car and leave the cables attached until my compressors shut off.

Now the car drives just fine with the headlights, puddle light, a/c etc.. on, drives perfect, except when the compressors are on and at an idle.. after it stalls out its dead and needs a jump again.

I test the battery and it doesn't wanna get over 11volts on a charger or while the engines running. and while the compressors are on it reads 8 volts. i know this is wayyyyy low.

Does this sound like maybe a bad cell in the battery and its just not able to produce enough power to run the car with the compressors? cuz like i said car runs fine anytime other than when the compressors are on.

also while at idle and the car is dimming if i rev my car to 2k rpm everything gets brighter and i can hear my compressors pick up the pace. so im thinking its not a faulty alt.

any sort of input would be helpful, im getting the battery and alt checked tomorrow, im crossing my fingers it just a battery problem now and not another faulty alt..

 

sounds like battery, or terminal wires

 

yeah check your connections could be loose or corroded. also check the alternator lines

 

check the cables to make sure its not corrided..if your reading that low, the alternator is a defective.... i would take the whole car to advance or autozone... let them do a alternator and battery test....from what ur saying... i leaning on the alternator....if the cables are good...when car is running... it should read 14 volts...if not... either a cable or defective ALT..... hope this help...

 

Id try the battery, get a good one with alot of cold cranking amps

 

Either upgrade alternator to a high amp rating or loose the compressor.

 

hey thanks guys with the responses, had the bat and alt checked, there both fine, but
i figured out what killed my first alt and what was messing this one up when the compressors were on.

there was a short to ground to my Hood from a super small split in the main power wire of my compressors...

needless to say iv relocated my main power cable lower and taped the cable for now..

Car is back up and going again =)

 

WOW! That's one of those things that once you figure it out, you have such a sense of relief. Glad it wasn't anything ridiculously expensive

 

good to hear thought it would be battery related