Anybody good with cars...

[CAP1]

when i seen u said a bunch of lights came on in ur dash i though alternator. that happened in my grand prix....but if all the lights are out and u got it started, it was prolly just a bad connection on ur battery.

you'd be surprised at how many people i've worked with, that replace an alternator, and then couldn't figure out why it still didn't charge.   

[betty]

you'd be surprised at how many people i've worked with, that replace an alternator, and then couldn't figure out why it still didn't charge.   

i have a system in my car and it killed my alternator....but when it went out ALL of my idiot lights came on. it was crazy! but yeah....i clean mine every so often specially before winter hits so that i make sure i dont have the dirty connection problems and find myself stranded some where. and with my system in my car i dont like to get a jump start as i fried an amp doing that. i was so mad at myself for that.....but u live and u learn

[CAP1]

i have a system in my car and it killed my alternator....but when it went out ALL of my idiot lights came on. it was crazy! but yeah....i clean mine every so often specially before winter hits so that i make sure i dont have the dirty connection problems and find myself stranded some where. and with my system in my car i dont like to get a jump start as i fried an amp doing that. i was so mad at myself for that.....but u live and u learn

what kind of car? if it's a ford, or chevy, you can look into getting an alternator from a police package. these are normally rated at over 120 amps.

 there used to be a company that modified the old style gm alternators, to fit into hondas, and they were rated in the 150 amp range.

[Babalonian]

i almost forgot..your starting problem........was very very simple too.

 there was corrosion forming between the battery cable end, and the battery post.

 by removing the cable, you were in essence, "scrubbing" the corrosion off of them, and when you re-connected them, you now had a good connection...till the corrosion formed again.


<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<  is very very good at diagnosing electrical and electronic problems. 

Well Cap, I wish you coulda told me that a few years, a couple mechanic/dealiship bills, and a half-dozen batteries ago (ok, so all but two I was able to recharge, still), but she is gone and her car (5 months after leaving me) is dead ( ), guess whoever it is she left me for didn't take care of her car for her (probabley one of the many things with him she hasn't mentioned yet that she has tried to vent and cry on my shoulder about in the last couple of months) *shrug* women.

Anywho, cars, yeah I cleaned the battery connectors of very minor corrosion when the radiator problem started.  Steelwool + that corrosion prevention spray stuff.  I would check but it never had more than a pinhead or two of corrosion after that on the connectors, I know because I would check it fairly often whenever I had to recharge the battery, chagne the battery, or had a problem with it starting.  I swear to you it was the stupid computer, but that's my hypothesis.  Was a good car in my opinion overall, just that the computer/electronics was its only flaw.  But it doesn't matter anymore, like I said, what hasn't been scrapped off of it is probabley sitting in a nice little cube at the bottom of the ocean.

[betty]

what kind of car? if it's a ford, or chevy, you can look into getting an alternator from a police package. these are normally rated at over 120 amps.

 there used to be a company that modified the old style gm alternators, to fit into hondas, and they were rated in the 150 amp range.

it a 2000 pontiac grand prix GT

[CAP1]

it a 2000 pontiac grand prix GT

aahhh.....


i believe that car has the "CS" series alternator. they were notorious for trashing the rear bearings, just under normal load.

 i would imagine, that you should be able to find a hi-output alternator for that car though. they're pretty popular still.

[Babalonian]

I hate that betty.  Sounds like your sound system doesn't stay turned off if you turn it off and the power goes out (or the battery completely dies), so as soon as you get some juice from the jump it turns itself on and then eats a power surge.


There are some car converters (I think that's what they're called... been a couple years since I was around "the biz") you can get to minimize any power surges to your audio system, but they require a bit of wireing sometimes... if your system is worth some $ though, it's worth the trouble.  But look into an aftermarket alternator like Cap said if you're eatign through the factory standard ones.  The police ones are pretty robust, probabley too much for what you're using, but there are a lot of aftermarket ones that make enough juice for you audio system and other entertainment goodies.  You won't have to pay a higher dollar for the heavy-duty police alternators, which could power your system, operate the margarita blender in the back seat, and more after-market lights per square inch than Las Vegas.

[CAP1]

I hate that betty.  Sounds like your sound system doesn't stay turned off if you turn it off and the power goes out (or the battery completely dies), so as soon as you get some juice from the jump it turns itself on and then eats a power surge.


There are some car converters (I think that's what they're called... been a couple years since I was around "the biz") you can get to minimize any power surges to your audio system, but they require a bit of wireing sometimes... if your system is worth some $ though, it's worth the trouble.  But look into an aftermarket alternator like Cap said if you're eatign through the factory standard ones.  The police ones are pretty robust, probabley too much for what you're using, but there are a lot of aftermarket ones that make enough juice for you audio system and other entertainment goodies.  You won't have to pay a higher dollar for the heavy-duty police alternators, which could power your system, operate the margarita blender in the back seat, and more after-market lights per square inch than Las Vegas.

ik think you're right. i think they use some sort of capacitor now, to store, and ramp up the amperage for the system.

 you can't get too bg of an alternator(outputwise), as it'll only put out what's needed at any time, till something happens that outruns it....kinda like these systems do to most stock alternators.
 
 that car also had an option of a 105 amp or an 85 amp alternator. the 105 still wouldn't be enough though.

check here. i never dealt with them, but just found them on google.

http://www.alternatorparts.com/

[Shuffler]

Let the voltage regulator go bad and you'll see your battery go bye bye.

[CAP1]

Let the voltage regulator go bad and you'll see your battery go bye bye.

aHA!!

99% of the cars and light trucks have the voltage regulator built into the alternator now. 

[Shuffler]

aHA!!

99% of the cars and light trucks have the voltage regulator built into the alternator now. 

Yup and that is what usually goes bad. Requires replacing the whole alty.

[CAP1]

Yup and that is what usually goes bad. Requires replacing the whole alty.

YEP.

it's one of those things that makes me think bad things about engineers.

on a side note, there is one or two models of the bosche alternators....or is it nippondenso? either way, there's a few that have removable regulators....and a couple that ya can actually unbolt a little plate, and the brushes come out.

problem, is that it;s nearly impossible to buy them.

[Babalonian]

ik think you're right. i think they use some sort of capacitor now, to store, and ramp up the amperage for the system.

 you can't get too bg of an alternator(outputwise), as it'll only put out what's needed at any time, till something happens that outruns it....kinda like these systems do to most stock alternators.
 
 that car also had an option of a 105 amp or an 85 amp alternator. the 105 still wouldn't be enough though.

check here. i never dealt with them, but just found them on google.

http://www.alternatorparts.com/

Doh!, sorry, meant it might of been too much $ for what she needs.  The ones law enforcement use are on the high end from what I remember, but that was 10-8 years ago last I was in "the know".  They're not bad (and who wouldn't want to be able to run a blender, hot tub, and capachino maker in their back seat?), but if you're sensitive to your wallet, there are better aftermarket options to look into. 

What I used to do back in the day for my car audio needs was research what I wanted (specs and prices) online, then run to a couple after-market shops where I was all chumy with the owners (one of whom was a neighbor, and thus how I first got into this stuff).  I'd hagle them for a cheaper price than what I found online and at hte local mega-stores, which often they could beat but sometimes couldn't.  Can't hagle the chain or corporate electronic stores, but you can the independent guys, and often they can strike ya a deal that's cheaper than what the corporate guys will sling ya (and the mega-stores deals are really only on merchandise they're trying to clear out because something newer and better is already on the way...).

[CAP1]

Doh!, sorry, meant it might of been too much $ for what she needs.  The ones law enforcement use are on the high end from what I remember, but that was 10-8 years ago last I was in "the know".  They're not bad (and who wouldn't want to be able to run a blender, hot tub, and capachino maker in their back seat?), but if you're sensitive to your wallet, there are better aftermarket options to look into. 

What I used to do back in the day for my car audio needs was research what I wanted (specs and prices) online, then run to a couple after-market shops where I was all chumy with the owners (one of whom was a neighbor, and thus how I first got into this stuff).  I'd hagle them for a cheaper price than what I found online and at hte local mega-stores, which often they could beat but sometimes couldn't.  Can't hagle the chain or corporate electronic stores, but you can the independent guys, and often they can strike ya a deal that's cheaper than what the corporate guys will sling ya (and the mega-stores deals are really only on merchandise they're trying to clear out because something newer and better is already on the way...).

aahhhh......

well...it's only money. i don't really have a lot either.....and probably never will, as i really suck at saving it. if i see something i want, and have the cash, i grab it.

 this past summer, i bought a system(it's frakkin GREAT) from tildeath......shouldn't have really, but you know how this game gets........

 shortly before that, i saw a hoyt ultra-tech target bow. beautiful, left handed, and only 500 bucks. it was shiny, so now it's mine. again, shouldn't have.....but i had money in my pocket when i saw it.

 i can't take it with me, so i figure i'll have "stuff". 

[dBeav]

I swear to you it was the stupid computer, but that's my hypothesis.  Was a good car in my opinion overall, just that the computer/electronics was its only flaw.

It's rarely ever the modules fault.