Guest Anonymous Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 ok anybody with any help what so ever would be a great help to my 78Z and I. a few months ago my car just stopped keeping the battery charged. so naturally i replaced the alternator. i charged the battery and drove it around, then the battery started to die. I took the alternator back and got another one, this time i had them test it to make sure it shows that it will charge. so i put the second alternator in, charged the battery and drove around and the battery died again. Now I don't know what else to do. My Z has been sitting in my garage for a few months now, and i think it's jealous that im driving a VW jetta now. I have thought about selling my Z, but i finally came to my senses and reallized what a mistake that would be. So now i am eager to get it running. If anyone has any information on what i should look at, please let me know....you can even give me a call at whatever time of the day or night. 832-878-8488 ask for David. or if you live in the Houston area and can offer any assistance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awd92gsx Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 Typically, for an alternator to charge, it has to receive power. Check and see if you're getting power to the back of the alternator . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted May 4, 2002 Share Posted May 4, 2002 I know this sounds overly simplistic, but the first step in troubleshooting any charging/starter problem is to clean the battery posts. And just "looks clean" is not good enough. Take a wire brush to them. Cannot begin to count the number of people who have needlessly replaced starters and/or alternators because they did not heed this advice. While you are at it, check the rest of the wiring and cable connectors to make sure they aren't corroded or loose. Next check the voltage across the battery, both with the engine running and off. With engine off should have around 12 volts. With the engine running, should be 14 volts or slightly higher. If it is still 12 volts (or less), check the voltage at the back of the alternator. If they are both 12 volts or less, you have a charging problem. If the battery voltage is low but volts at the alternator good, then you have an open circuit between the alternator and battery. See if maybe a fusible link has blown. My guess is you don't have an alternator problem since you have replaced it with a "known good". If all of the wiring checks out, the next step is to have the battery checked. If the battery is over 5 years old, then I personnaly would just replace it. The same place that checked your alternator should be able to check the battery under load. Probably need to charge it up before bringing it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted May 5, 2002 Share Posted May 5, 2002 Also, you may want to check your resistor on your alternator... its a little cylinder thing that should be attached on the rear of the alternator.... I know that when the resistors go bad on your coil they can cause damage to the coil and other electronic devices I am not sure if that helps but you may want to test the Ohms. Its easy to do... Just use a Fluke multimeter and test the Ohms before the resistor and afterwards. Check in your Hayens or Chiltons manual to find out what the resistance should be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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