What's wrong with the Alternator!!!???

[SuperG]

OK...battery pooped out...tested battery...it was fine...ok, must need a new alternator...removed, tested, failed...charged battery, installed new alternator, battery pooped out again...installed new battery and alternator was NOT charging.

So then I tested the alternator and it failed...replaced, installed (not tested since place that I bought it cannot seem to test it), NOT charging!!!

The multitester is showing 11.7V across the battery while the engine is running (not running it was 12.xx). I also put the multitester in the alternator nut (the one with the wire running to it) and the block and got the same reading...11.7V.

Do I have another bad alternator or is something else going on?

Also, please take a look at the following 2 pics...I found an orange hard plastic tube (I assume it's a vacuum line) that has split apart. One end goes into a mess of covered tubes and wires, the other end goes down to a round metal thingamajig...what is the tube for, what is the metal thing, and where does the other end go?

As always, your help is greatly appreciated!

 

[95PGTTech]

that line is a vacuum line going down to the smog pump. when I removed my smog pump, that thing you're pointing to is the valve, that also came out, that bracket, the solenoid on it, and that vacuum line.

 

[SuperG]

So being broke might not affect performance...perhaps not even emissions?

 

[Tabres]

You check your ground?

 

[misterb]

You check your ground?

Yeah- what he said.

 

[SuperG]

By ground, do you mean the engine ground (wire from the body to the hood), the alternator ground, or the battery? Sorry for my ignorance...

 

[coolguy10786]

By ground, do you mean the engine ground (wire from the body to the hood), the alternator ground, or the battery? Sorry for my ignorance...

Check all grounds, there's many of them and make sure the is one going from the motor to the frame.

What brand alternator? Any aftermarket electronics on the car?

Also rev the rpms up and see if you are getting more amps. You should be reading about 14volts if the alternator is charging.

 

[Cookieman00x]

Do you have under drive pullies? Reground the battery

 

[SNAKEYE]

So being broke might not affect performance...perhaps not even emissions?

"Being broke" will throw a diagnostic trouble code. That "thingamajiggy" is a valve which, along with its twin on the left side of the engine, allows the air from the air pump to enter the exhaust.

 

[SNAKEYE]

I kind of doubt that this might be the case, but did the replacement alternator(s) come with the voltage regulator attached? It should have. Or did they expect you to transfer the old voltage regulator to the replacement(s)? If so, you have a bad voltage regulator.
If the replacement(s) came with voltage regulators mounted, for further diagnostic testing try using a single battery jumper cable from the frame of the alternator to the negative battery terminal. This will "jumper" all critical electrical grounds associated with the charging system. If battery voltage improves you may have a faulty negative battery cable or connection.

 

[Gallows]

+1 on the ground. Mine was dirty and caused me all kinds of grief.

 

[SuperG]

Well crap...I forgot a vital piece of information, which I had in a different post...this all started with a faulty speedometer...the consensus was to check the speedo gear. So I pulled the cluster and in removing what appeared to be a perfectly fine gear...I broke it!

So while waiting for the new gear I drove around without re-installing the cluster. A few days later the battery went dead...everyone was sure this was a coincidence.

Therefore, two things happened that cost me quite a bit to get me back to square one:
1) The alternator does not run without the instrument cluster
2) Autozone did not properly test the alternator (twice = the original and the 1st new one).

Here's the cost of the lesson:
New speedo gear set = $56
New alternator = $160
Tow truck = $75
New battery = $100

Total = $391 + 1 week's worth of down time

And the speedometer still does not work.

Hey at least you now know.

 

[Tabres]

Did you check the speedometer gear in the tailshaft of the transmission? They can sometimes strip and cause the speedometer to fail. They're cheap, maybe $5, if that...

 

[SuperG]

Did you check the speedometer gear in the tailshaft of the transmission? They can sometimes strip and cause the speedometer to fail. They're cheap, maybe $5, if that...

Yes I have and it sure looked like it was fine. I'll look again and maybe go ahead and get a new one...

 

[SNAKEYE]

Did you check the wiring for damage and connections for tightness and corrosion from the vehicle speed sensor (VSS) on the tranny up to the main wire harness along the top of the firewall?