MessyJessy

Ok heres the deal, two weeks ago my battery light came on so i had
changed my alternator .... and bought a new battery yesterday... all day yesterday everything was ok starting up fine no signs of anything wrong..
today i go to clean my car and i took it around the corner after i cleaned it... i noticed the light back on today.....? i dont know what else it could be i changed the alternator and i changed the battery .. the battery is a Gold duralast.. so i know it cant be the battery...
i dont know if this has anything to do with it but i have 22 inch rims on
my sc300....

SOMEBODY HELP PLEASE!!!

over40driv

Make sure the plug on the back of the alt. is plugged all the way in, also the main battery wire must be tight. Hopefully you disconnected one of the battery terminals when installing the alt. and tightening the main hot wire or you could spark your wrench to ground and blow a fuse.

over40driv

If alt. light is still on, remove and take back to parts house and have it bench tested.

StiCk3

iTrader: (5)

if it happend while taking a corner you probably just knocked a wire loose and is not getting power to the battery. Check those connections to be sure that they are working properly. Also go ahead and replace the serp belt while you're at it as a worn serp belt can reduce alternator efficiency. Trust me, it made a big difference on my car by just dropping in a new belt.

SHOLEXMAN

Possible defective alternator,loose wire,cut wire. See if you are getting the correct voltage at the battery. Then turn the accessories on and see if it drops under 12 volts. Then you will probably need further diag.

MessyJessy

wheres the plug for the alternator at? and how many plugs are there?
where would the cut wire be? by the alternator?

MessyJessy

Ok i just checked my car and theres a tube that connects from under the battery holder
that is not connected to ANYTHING. is that tube supposed to just hang or what let me know PLEASE

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

tube probably has nothing to do with your problem...

you changed what last? battery you say? I would charge it and have it tested... just because its new doesn't mean its good...

I once had someone buy a brand new battery from next door at O'reilly's and installed it in our parking lot... His car started and ran for a few minutes, but he said the battery light came back on after just a couple minutes... well, I wanted to help the guy out, so, instead of charging him for a charging system test, I took our handheld battery tester out to the car just to do a quick check... sure as hell that brand new battery had a bad cell and after just a few minutes of running, was down to 10.8 volts...

he went next door, I'm sure cussed them a little, brought back another battery, installed it, and I offered to check his alternator and battery (with the handheld tester, which is usually pretty accurate)... he started the car, let it run for 3 or 4 minutes, turned it off, i checked the battery, all was good, I checked the alternator, 14.2 volts output... he brought the shop donuts the next morning...

Anyways, as has been mentioned, double check all cable connections and fuses... if all seems well, pull the battery and have it tested, if its good, test the alternator, plain and simple...

MessyJessy

HERES THE TUBE FROM THE BATTERY

MessyJessy

Wow so it could still be the battery?? i dont know what it is now i had my car diagnosed yesterday at aamco they have this free diagnoses going on.. he said i probably have an electrical problem since i told him that i had an after market stereo and subwoofers hooked up .. but i think hes just bull****ting lol because when i got it hooked up i made SURE no wires were cut when putting these in

MessyJessy

Could the timing belt be doing all of this? if yes how?

TheMole

iTrader: (13)

If not anything mentioned in the above posts, check your grounds especially the negative battery cable. There is a chance that it has been corroded over time as it happend to me.

Also, any chance that those 22s are rubbing on your driver's side wheel well fender liner? There are wires behind the liner so maybe it rubbed through.

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

assuming the vehicles runs, the problems could be:

1) bad battery
2) bad alternator
3) missing belt
4) loose/worn belt tensioner
5) blown alternator fuse
6) loose wire
7) severed wire
8) bad engine ground
9) corrosion on wire connectors

there could be more, but that pretty much sums up the most popular problems...

StiCk3

iTrader: (5)

the timing belt is a completely different component. Did you or someone else change your alternator? And drop the tub thing, it's just a drain connected to the battery tray to drain moisture buildup under the battery.

Get a volt meter and test the battery as mentioned. If it is around 12V then your battery might be junk. If it's around 14ish then check the alternator.

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

you need to be more clear in your instruction....

with the vehicle off, a fully charged battery will be between 12.6 and 12.8 volts. 75% charged, 12.4-12.6 volts, 50% 12.2-12.4%, 25% 12.0-12.2 volts, and below 12 volts = 0-25% charge...

with the vehicle running, you should have somewhere between 13.4 and 14.4 volts, depending on amp draw and outside temperature...

if the battery is significantly below 12 volts, suspect a dead cell, however, it is possible for the battery to be discharged even below 10 volts and make a full comeback once it is charged (out of the car, slow charge). If it is below 13.4 volts while running, suspect a bad alternator...

neither one of these tests are guarantees, which is why I recommend having them professionally tested...