| Author | Message | ||
     Chris Brennan (Cdmbrennan) Member Username: Cdmbrennan Post Number: 56 Registered: 01-2003 |
Replaced alternator/100-amp fusible circuit last week after battery would not hold charge...seemed to work fine. Now the battery light is on and Optima red top batt discharges after about 15 minutes of driving with the lights on. Also - stock radio will not turn on (replaced fuse under driverside panel but to no avail) and tachometer will not function. What's going on? Conversely, how can I check to see if I have a short somewhere? Any help appreciated... | ||
| Chris Brennan (Cdmbrennan) Member Username: Cdmbrennan Post Number: 57 Registered: 01-2003 |
bump...anyone? | ||
| Chris Brennan (Cdmbrennan) Member Username: Cdmbrennan Post Number: 58 Registered: 01-2003 |
bump | ||
| Tony Zuniga (Tony23007) Member Username: Tony23007 Post Number: 158 Registered: 05-2003 |
Even though you just changed the Alternator have it checked again, the tach is connected directly to the Volt meter in the back of the Alternator if that is not functioning you either have a bad connection or a bad alternator? The radio, well I don't know, bad connections, or just plain Lucas electronics. AutoZone or almost any Car Parts do a free battery, alternator check, they even check to see if the Alternator is working on your car? I would have them check it first and go from there! | ||
| Luis Constantin (Luisc) Member Username: Luisc Post Number: 128 Registered: 02-2003 |
Sorry no one has gotten back to you. I think everyone has experience that at one point or another. Don't take it personal, though some have in the past. I'm no electical genius, so I can't offer any advice. Heck, I rather put together a 10K piece jigsaw puzzle than to mess with a bunch of wires. I usually have someone else play with wires. | ||
| Chris Brennan (Cdmbrennan) Member Username: Cdmbrennan Post Number: 59 Registered: 01-2003 |
Tony and Luis, thanks for the advice. Mys-ti-fy-ing. I don't take it personal - heck, usually I like to muddle through these issues myself anyhow, but electronics and I work together about as well as the proverbial "screen door on the submarine". I'm having Autozone check the alternator this afternoon - otherwise, to the mechanic it goes... thanx | ||
| Mark Fagan (Discokid185) New Member Username: Discokid185 Post Number: 1 Registered: 08-2003 |
My daughter just had similar problem today. Had new Interstate battery installed a month ago on 97k mile '98 Disco. Battery light and Anti-lock light came on, head lights, electric windows no longer function and a shrill tone is coming from under the inside fuse box. Checked all anti-lock fuses and they are OK. The 100 amp alternator main circuit fuse looks busted. Did you replace both alternator and 100 amp curcuit fuse or just the fuse? Is it OK to open that end of the engine fuse box secondary cover and how did you open - by unscrewing it or prying it open? Thanks | ||
| Mark Sager (Msager007) New Member Username: Msager007 Post Number: 23 Registered: 05-2003 |
I would try a different battery than the Interstate. My brother-in-law has a used car dealership and there's an interstate battery display case that interstate comes by and fills periodically. He has put several interstate batteries in his cars and it seems that about half of them develop problems like your daughters. He just recently put a brand new interstate in my sisters jeep, and all the lights would start flickering as she went down the road. Replaced the battery with a different kind, and all the problems disappeared. | ||
| Chris Brennan (Cdmbrennan) Member Username: Cdmbrennan Post Number: 60 Registered: 01-2003 |
Mark Fagan, Autozone will do a load test on your alternator to see if the alternator isn't working- basically, they put a heavy energy "draw" on the alternator and see if it handles it. The only problem is that if the alternator isn't working and the battery is low to begin with, the test can in effect drain the battery entirely before the test is completed. They can tell you then that your alternator is bad, but you're stuck in the parking lot with a dead battery. Make sure that you have a spare battery in the car to switch out if this occurs (as it did with mine- but I had been hauling a spare battery in the trunk for a week). As an FYI, the nut on the battery terminal connectors requires a 13mm wrench to loosen (at least on mine). The car is at the dealer today for them to diagnose- I will let you know what they come up with. I'm guessing that the remanufactured alternator I installed is bad- I've heard this can be fairly common. The tach is connected directly to the alt so this would explain it shutting down. The 100-amp fusible circuit is simply an unscrew-and-switch, but no autoparts places I checked had the specific blade style 100-amp fusible circuit required. Most had a blue 100-amp fusible circuit with the blades pointed down instead of out to the sides like what is on the vehicle (take yours off and inside and you'll see). The dealer was able to get one for me next-day for around $7- not too bad. But this didn't in itself correct the problem. I'll keep you updated. Chris |
