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Alternator/Battery Issues again

idreamidrive

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Messages
430
Location
Murray, KY
I am not having any luck trying to volunteer at stage rallies.

In March, I replaced my interstate battery because it didn't have the CCA that it used to. In fact, if I left the car sit for a week it wouldn't start with out me charging up the battery. Then I took a road trip to volunteer at the 100 acre woods rally and the alternator died on the way there.
Replaced it, drove it around lightly until today and finally took another longer road trip. Car was running great, ac blowing cold, and then it got dark. I turned on my lights and everything seems fine. Drive a couple miles with my lights on and the car starts to buck like it is missing, go just to parking lights and it goes away.

I don't have a voltmeter with me and I am currently waiting on AAA to tow me, so I am just speculating here. You think the alternator can't put out the amps under full load or something else is up? Head lights didn't seem to dim at all when driving. Just the misfiring that was bucking the car pretty good.
 

thomcasey

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 24, 2014
Messages
907
Location
Indianapolis, IN
Sounds like the alternator to me, unless your grounds are decaying.
 

idreamidrive

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Messages
430
Location
Murray, KY
Quoting thomcasey:
Sounds like the alternator to me, unless your grounds are decaying.


Very much could be the grounds as they are original. I was planning on replacing them at some point.

Quoting transparentdsm:
I've had a similar situation when I blew out the power transistor a few years back in my vr4


I just tested the PT and it tested out fine(but who knows), even with a hair dryer blowing on it for a couple of minutes. I have a spare one somewhere, probably in my parts stash at my parents house, that I will try to swap out and find out if it is going on.
 

idreamidrive

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Messages
430
Location
Murray, KY
I was driving around yesterday with headlights, ac, and radio on and you could just watch the voltage drop after driving for 30 minutes. Started at 14.2 and eventually got down to 12.9. It was a warranty replacement from oriellys and u went over there to have them test it. 1st test was without the headlights on and it passed, but the 2nd test with the headlights on it failed. The little machine said it was the voltage regulator. I had them order me another reman and it came in today. I forgot to grab a picture, but the one that failed was similar to the replacement, but still different. The new one actually had a Mitsubishi symbol on it and the weirdest part was that the rectifier seemed smaller than the failed one. I don't get that, but who knows. Put this one in and started off with 14.2 and after 30 minutes of ac, headlights, and radio on it was putting out 13.7. It did buck once, but it was just after I pulled out of my driveway and heading down the road at 25 mph with a slight load on it.

I don't know if this alternator fixed the issue or not, but I will keep you posted if it did not.
 

diambo4life

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
315
Location
Edmond, Oklahoma
Do yourself a favor and put the Mitsubishi alternator in the trash and swap to a Saturn unit. It is the best thing I did to my car in years! I no longer worry about the alternator. It's an awesome feeling. I will do the same thing to my GSX. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
Last edited:
Joined
May 8, 2019
Messages
19
Location
Sachse, Texas
The parts store rebuilt alternators for our cars are useless junk. I've been there and went through three of them, one failure after another in short order. I finally ponied up for a genuine Mitsu alternator from the dealer and never had another charging issue. The parts store rebuilds use cheap components, and half the time they're not even the correct components.
 

gvr4ever

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 6, 2002
Messages
6,190
Location
central Indiana
Can't remember who recommended this place, but mine has been working long term.

click
 
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