alternator or battery
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 20,773
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From: Wishing this year would end :( Philly PA
St. Jude Donor '06
alternator or battery
last week, i was driving my 91 home and there was a noise when Accelerating, so i parked it in my stepmom's garage (about 5 miles from my house, and about 3 miles since the noise started) - i went back over there to get something out of the car before vacation and there was no power. Can i just replace the alternator, or has the battery drained that much that i have to replace it as well?
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,593
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From: Mobile AL
St. Jude Donor '05
First the easiest thing: remove the battery and have it checked at O'Reilly/AutoZone/Advanced. If it's good charge it up, start the car and take it to one of the same to have the alternator checked. (easier to check on the car than to take if off and find out it's OK). Electrical problems are odd. Good luck.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
It is possible that your alternator has a shorted rectifier diode. This will cause the alternator to growl and get very hot and with the engine off it will rapidly discharge the battery. First remove the large red wire on the alternator tape it so it cannot short to ground and recharge the battery with a battery charger. If the battery draws current when the charger is connected, then the battery should be ok. Remove the alternator and have it checked. If the alternator checks ok, then you will have to find the source of the leakage current that discharges the battery. Let us know what you find for further instructions.
