Hey all.

Well, when i start my car, the voltage gauge shows 8-9 volts, and the car stumbles and barely keeps running.

If i revv the engine like this, the voltage jumps up to 14 volts, but if i let up too quickly on the gas, the car just dies.

If i drive it around for 2-5 mins, the voltage reads 14 volts, and stays there, and there isn't a drop after that.

Also, when im driving, my car is making a odd whistling sound. It sounds like a vaccume leak, or something similar. I cannot locate where this noise is coming from actually, Could that be the sign of a bad alternator? Anyone here delt with a whining alternator before?

I replaced the alternator with a new ac-delco 105 amp less then a year ago, so i would be surprised if it were the problem. The battery was run down once before totally, when the old alternator died, but the battery is less than 2 years old itself anyway.

So, Does anyone have any suggestions, or ideas on what the problem could be? Do i have a ground somewhere on my car? why else would i shut off the car @ 14 volts, and start it at 8-9?

Does anyone have any suggestions? I am thinking of replacing the alternator AGAIN, and the battery AGAIN, and then replacing the positive battery cable. (which looks to be the biggest pain in the A§§ from what i can tell)

Thanks for any feedback you can give me!!



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1986 IROC Camaro
305 TPI "LB9"
3.23 gears
Doesn't know enough about cars.
AIM: jesusathome

 

It could be the battery is no longer accepting a charge well. Replacement is the only solution in that case. It could also be that the alternator is not able to charge the battery well enough. That could be because of a bad alternator or the primary wiring (wiring to the battery terminals and the alternator output).

Get the battery and alternator tested (often done free at parts stores). Buy a small wire brush and clean all the primary connections until the metal is shiny and free of rust. This includes the bolt or stud that accepts the connectors. Then make sure the connections are tightned well.

EDIT:

After re-reading your post, I decided that the more probably reason is that the battery can no longer hold a charge (as I said above). This is a common sympton for a bad battery. Two years? In Central America, that would be considered good (because they use poor quality lead when building batteries there). Here in the U.S., two years is on the short side of the average lifespan of a battery, dependent upon many many things such as:

1. Number of charging cycles.
2. Loss of electrolyte. This accounts for ~50% of all battery failures, due to heat or over charging boiling off the electrolyte.
3. Charging level [fast charging, depending upon the amount, can heat up the plates and warp them, shorting battery life severly].
4. A fully discharged battery can be ruined, especially if it is maintenance free. (Deep discharge batteries are more tolerant of this condition.) If this happens, you should test it AFTER it has been fully recharged (by an outside charger - not the alternator for reasons I explained in other posts) to determine if there is any latent or permanent damage.
5. Over charging (I personally would never charge a sealed battery with anything over 25 amperes - see #2 and #3 for two reasons).
6. Type of water used to replentish the electrolyte (distilled, DI, tap water, or ?).
7. High under hood temperatures (batteries often last about 33% less in hot climates than in cold).
8. Using an undersized battery.
9. Undercharging.
10. Excessive vibration (bad hold-down clamp).
11. Freezing.
12. Corrosion.

and so forth.

Remember, a "Maintenance Free" battery MAY need electrolyte. The electrolyte could be boiled off because of heat, from a hot climate, from excessive charging current and/or from excessive charging voltage.

There are essentially two types of car batteries - low maintenance non-sealed and maintenance free non-sealed or sealed.

The advantage of a maintenance free battery is less preventative maintenance, longer life, faster recharging, greater overcharge resistance, reduced terminal corrosion and longer shelf life. But they are more prone to deep discharge (or dead battery) failures due to the increased shedding of the active plate material.

Never buy a battery that is more than six months old. At this point, it is starting to sulfate. Sulfation occurs when the lead sulfate cannot be converted back to a charged material and is created when discharged batteries stand for a long time or from excessive water loss. Look for a date stamped on the case ("A" for January and "1" for 2001, or "A1").

EDIT #2:

I've seen or heard many (most?) of the major parts stores (PEP BOYS, NAPA, AUTOZONE, etc.) will do this free of charge (obviously in hopes that they will find a bad battery or alternator and sell you one of theirs).

The "whistling" noise (like a vacuum leak) you posted sounds like bad alternator bearings. Remove the alternator belt, start the car and see if the noise goes away. If so, then its probably the alternator bearings.

Cleaning the connectors/terminals of the primary wiring should be the SOP for any preventative maintenance program on the electrical system.

I would think twice about returning to your mechanic (at least for electrical work). Those were two pretty big red flags...

[This message has been edited by Stuart Moss (edited June 05, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Stuart Moss (edited June 05, 2001).]

 

Cool beans. I wasn't aware that my battery could be tested at a parts store, or my alternator.

One thing i should mention, when i was picking up my car from the mechanic, (strangly when the problem started to happen) when i drove home, the voltage guage was going nuts, and makign the check engine light come on. So i took it back to the shop, pretty pissed off, while the mechanic told me he "forgot" to tell me about that odd electrical problem. he then told me, "It doesn't matter, it won't hurt anything" and also "Your alternator puts out too much power".

To that i replied, "uh, don't newer style GM alternators have internal voltage regulators, which controll that problem?" and he sort of shut up, and looked confused. He just nodded. Some mechanic.

Anyway, Hopefully it is one of the two things. A replacement alternator, and even battery are a cheap fix, im just scared to replace both parts, in case the problem lies elswhere, and i just kill another new battery, and another new alternator.

Thanks for the reply! If anyone thinks it might be somethign besides the alternator, or the battery, please post!




------------------
1986 IROC Camaro
305 TPI "LB9"
3.23 gears
Doesn't know enough about cars.
AIM: jesusathome