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iTrader: (4)

**** Check down below*****


Long story short: About a month ago I replaced my battery and my altenator, after a few days of hard starts and watching the volt meter drop, and having my lights flicker.
Sunday afternoon I go to start my car and the car wont start. It trys to but it just wont go...and then usually my radio dies and I have to put the code back in. Any way, I had a friend jump it and it started right up. Drove it for about 30 minutes and shut it off, and it started right back up 20 minutes later.
Well yesterday it sucked all day, it turned over but you could tell it was having a hard time. Once it turns over, the volt meter jumps right up and the car is fine.
I took it to autozone to have them test it and my altenator is only putting out 20 amps. The guy there said that it could be my starter motor going???
Any truth to that, or did he just make stuff up?

Some people said maybe my VATS going bad, but I'm throwing no codes.

So any ideas? Altenator or starter???





********* Ok so I checked the excite wire on the top of the alternator, from the top of the car. Couldnt' see much of it but if I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing and feeling, one of the wires is off/ripped out of the plug. If this is true probably from putting the new alternator up there, I had to give it some extra force to get up there. Ok so IF that wire is ripped otu would I be gettin any charge to the battery?

The reason I ask is, after work I went out and started the car, it was hard but turned over, the volt meter jumped right up to 14 volts. I let the car run for a bit then shut it down and waited a minute or two started it back up, little hesitation...but it started up. I did this about 5 times over a 15 minute period with a buddy from work. Each time the volt meter read good when the car started and each time the car had a bit of a hesitation. I did notice if I put the car to accsories the volt meter reads around 8.

SOOOO if one of those wires is off.....could I be gettin some charge?

Also what does the excite wire actually do?????


So what we thinking her, am I nuts and just got a bad alternator or do i got other problems???

Cobra2WS6

iTrader: (22)

I had a similar problem, batter and alterator were fine. I had a wire that pulled out of the plug that is connected into the alternator.. If you are standin outside your car.. look down through the engine to the alternator and see if you can tell if any wires came out of the alternator connector plug... You can see it from the top. I believe this post makes sence lol

brad8266

iTrader: (23)

Exciter wire is what that wire is called and it controls charging.

staringback05

iTrader: (8)

ive posted on this before....that wire is what controls the charging of your battery, youll think your battery is dieing....but its just really the wire undone

PopaPork

iTrader: (4)

come someone has to have an idea

brad8266

iTrader: (23)

Sounds like it could be the exciter wire. That connector has only 1 wire that goes into it, if its ripped out your alternator isnt charging properly.

irnbru83

i'm about to try and remake that connector since i'm having charging problems when i turn the headlights and/or AC on

brad8266

iTrader: (23)

Just buy a new connector at the dealer.

staringback05

iTrader: (8)

did you read anyones post or what?

PopaPork

iTrader: (4)

is there a way to test that excite wire to make sure its works?

brad8266

iTrader: (23)

Test the voltage across it, it will vary. That wire goes straight to the PCM so there are no parts in between it. Your best thing to do with it is to make sure it has a tioght solid connection to the alternator.

PopaPork

iTrader: (4)

I'm a bit new/dumb when it comes to testing. What do you mean test across it?

staringback05

iTrader: (8)

the male end of the wire usually has problems take a look at it and make nothings broken....make sure its in all the way to

PopaPork

iTrader: (4)

I'm gettin my new alternator today, going to look at the wires and everything I can think of. I took the car to Advanced yesterday and had them test it. Both them and Autozone said it was puttin out 20 amps. I just hope I got a bad alternator, cause that excite wire looks like a PITA to replace.

Has anyone reaplaced it ever??

irnbru83

I'm going to try tomorrow, i'll let you know how it goes :p

if you have a leaky connection (be it on the exciter wire, or anywhere else in your electrical system), it will put extra load on your alternator. This will heat that bad boy up until you can't touch it... and it will break. So if you repeatedly go through alternators as I have done in the last month, check the wiring b/c bad wiring can do a lot of damage.



EDIT: Connector is $29.70 at the local dealership. Just an FYI

PopaPork

iTrader: (4)

Did the connector come with any wire to it, or is it just the plastic plug.

I'm gettin a new one from Advanced today, then returning mine to autozone, Crossing the fingers and toes this fixes it. I hate electrical problems. A volt meter to me is like Krytonite to Superman.

staringback05

iTrader: (8)

pretty sure you can get it was the plug and wire.....

PopaPork

iTrader: (4)

well here's the update. Took the altanator out tonight and the excite wire pluge fell right off...sooooo the wire was busted, or at least cracked so it fell apart reallll easy. Had the thing tested just to make sure, and the thing put out 102 amps. New excite wire plug tomorrow. Thanks for the post guys....learn something new everyday.

PopaPork

iTrader: (4)

OOOK still got problems. Had the alternator tested 102 amps. Got the new plug from GM put it in, I"m 99% sure the connection is good, hell I"m 100% the connection is good. Car starts up the same, barely. I drive it yesterday for about 15 minutes shut it off, started it up 20 minutes later and had the same problem...it wouldn't start right up.

Ok so I let it run for bit in my garage maybe about 30 minutes, and I shut it off and came back like 10 minutes later. The damn thing STILL had a hard time starting.

I'm wondering what else can I check, OR how long does it take to get the battery back up to 100%? When I brought the car down to Advanced friday night the guy there said the batter was so low there was no point in testing the alternator.

So what we thinking???


Just went out and started the car up (sunday morning) car barely started and when it did the idle was low and almost wanted to stall out. I reved it and it nearly did. I let it sit for awhile and the car ran perfectly.

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON??!!!