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Bad Alternator or Bad Ground?

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Old Feb 17, 2010 | 12:19 PM
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Default Bad Alternator or Bad Ground?

When I turn my signals on my lights dim with the flash. About a week ago my ABS, TRAC, and TRAC OFF light came on for about a minute then shut off. Then it did it again about three days later. On the way to work this morning it happened again but this time the gauges stopped working right as I pulled into the parking lot. I haven't checked anything yet but will after work. Do you think its a groud problem or in my alternator dead?
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Old Feb 17, 2010 | 03:03 PM
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Just had the same problem this week. Does your batt. light come on too? My problem was a bad alternator. Car now runs better
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Old Feb 17, 2010 | 03:53 PM
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No battery light, just about every other one though, including air bags which scarred me.
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Old Feb 17, 2010 | 03:59 PM
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I'm not exactly sure, but i would suggest checking grounds and cleaning them as well. It might be that the ecu is failing because its not getting enough current from the battery. That would explain why all the lights came up except the battery light. (Electrons flow out of the negative side, so that would make sense to check the grounds)

Good Luck
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Old Feb 17, 2010 | 04:20 PM
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Thanks man, yea I'm gonna throw a battery that I have at work in it, and drive it in our shop and clean at that stuff and pray. Hopefully it's just that and I don't have to buy an alternator.
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Old Feb 17, 2010 | 04:32 PM
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Ok, just went out to change the battery and it started right up. No problems with the warning lights or anything, so it's gotta be a grounding problem. Time to get to work.

Now I'm confused. I cleaned up the negative cable and sanded the grounding spot, it was quiet corroded. Hooked everything back up, started it, and it was idling at like 2 grand. Drove it around the parking lot and stuff started to die again. I drove it back to my shop, turned it off and it wouldn't start. I threw my other battery in it started it and drove it home just fine. Any thoughts on this? Any experience with this? Thanks. I think tomorrow I'm gonna pick up some thick cable tomorrow and run another ground to the body.

Last edited by Devo83; Feb 17, 2010 at 06:20 PM.
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Old Feb 17, 2010 | 09:05 PM
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Doing some reading and could it be the voltage regulator
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