DOC Walker

Got charge system fault message, all lights came on on dash. Battery tested bad, replaced it and all was well. Got charge system fault message again within a few days. While driving, AC, radio went out, all lights faded and car died. Jumped several times to get home (less than a mile). Replaced alternator, charged battery fully, started car and got charge system fault message immediately. Alternator not charging battery. Drove car to auto parts store, battery tested good but needed charging and new alternator tested at only 11.5 volts.

Could it possibly be anything else or did I just get a bad alternator out of the box?

tacman

Could be wrong alternator. C5's are notoriously fickle about aftermarket alternators. Depending on who you deal with, there are possibly at least 3 different P/N's for my '01. Check your VIN with a dealer to ensure you have installed the right P/N.

dadaroo

Check the associated grounds with the alternator and battery.

AlternatorMan

Sounds like a corroded connection somewhere in the charging system, which can burn out your bridge rectifier. A bad bridge rectifier can do two things: 1) Cause a phantom drain on your battery, discharging it below 10v and causing permanent damage. 2) Leaks AC current to the system when charging, which also damages the battery.

I would check your wires for internal corrosion and add a ground connection directly from your alternator case to the battery negative.

DOC Walker

Starter had gone bad. Wires loose and were scorched, ruined solenoid, and subsequently blew several fuses including AC blower, radio and more.

This is the second time in the life of the car that the message came up and it was the starter with different symptoms.

Thank you for replies.