camaroman2009

Hey everybody,

I've done a search on here for an issue that is like mine but didn't find it.

I have a 1998 Z28 Camaro with 70,000 or so miles on it. A week or so ago, I went out to start my car. It started but the dash lights were dim and the "Check gauges" light was on. Ok so I'm thinking alternator issues. So, a week later I bring the car over to my dad's house...my wife and I had to charge the car twice to get it over here.

So this morning I pull the old alternator out...put a new one in. So we are charging the car with some jumper cables and I tell my dad it will take about 15 minutes to get the car charged enough to start. He wants to try his battery out of his 1991 GMC sonoma so we don't have to wait that long. So we put that one on and start it. Like a minute after we start it the car starts revving up and down on it's own. I turn the car off and put my battery back in and charge it....Oh yeah the Check gauges light is off now...The car finally starts. It runs for a couple of minutes and then starts chugging like something is wrong. Then the car just dies. So, we charge it up again and it starts but then after a couple of minutes the car just dies again.

I've been messing with it a little bit. My dad and I have tried to jump it some more. While it is hooked up, the alternator gauge is up high enough to be good. But as soon as we unhook the jumper cables the alternator gauge drops to zero.

Is there some kind of relay or computer reset button that we need to push in order for everything to work correctly? I'm fairly certain I hooked up everything the way it is supposed to be hooked up. I got the new alternator from ORiley's. Is it possible that the alternator is bad?

The funny thing is is that the "Check gauge" light doesn't come on anymore.

Any help with this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Israel Contreras

Arctic2002ss

I think it's still something with the alternator. I would first look at the little wire up on top of the alternator. You did unplug/reconnect that one didn't you? It is really hard to get at and could easily be missed. I would like to kick the engineer that designed that.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

This is the first thing I'd check as well. That little wire (sometimes called an exciter or field wire) creates a small eletrical field to begin the charging process.

From what I've seen, the alternator will still charge without that wire connected, but not very well. So this may not be your issue (since you said it drops all the way to zero), but I'd check that first since it's easy.

My next step would be to get the battery tested. It my have been damaged by the previously bad alternator, and may now be refusing the charge. If that checks out fine, then I'd suspect the rebuilt alternator to be faulty. I've had several bad alternators from those local parts stores in the past.

teke184

iTrader: (5)

as stated....recheck the wires

have the battery tested...i've had a battery go BAD internally and not take a charge. not even allow the car to run once jumped.


problem with the idle changing could be the car needing to reset its idle after being cleared from the volitile memory