Could it be the alternator?

Discontained · Post by **Discontained** » 22 Aug 2005, 00:24

Hey everyone, there has been this wierd problem i have been having with my s80 (non turbo). Recently, the a/c has been cutting off and wont turn back on even with all the fan lights on. Well the other day, it cut off completely, so i turned the car off, it seemed the battery was flat dead. i woudl still have dash lights (warning/system lights) but the car clicked when trying for ignition. So i took the battery out, and took it to Advance Auto Parts to get tested, turns out the battery is fine. So i put it back in, and was on my way to get my Polarity tester so i could test the alternator, but before i got there it did the same thing..

While i was removing the battery from its resting place in the trunk i noticed there was brown sticky spots everywhere.. there is a little black box next to the battery and it has a bunch of the brown gooey residue around it. Could that be my problem? or do you think it would be my alternator.

Thanks in advanced

Discontained · Post by **Discontained** » 26 Aug 2005, 07:47

Anyone have any ideas

Post by **matthew1** » 26 Aug 2005, 10:23

How old is the battery?

I've never felt much confidence in battery test results. There seems to be no end to the number of problems a low battery can cause, and in this case it's a relatively easy way to throw a potential fix at the problem. Always work from easy --> hard when trying to fix something. Sorry if that's obvious.

Discontained · Post by **Discontained** » 27 Aug 2005, 08:46

Thanks it is. i tested it and it had a bad something i forgot what it was.. anywho.. I tried to order one online and i cant find one single place that stock's them. Could anyone point me in a direction to where i could snatch one up online? thanks!

dpauto.com · Post by **dpauto.com** » 02 Sep 2005, 02:17

If you are suspecting the battery is the problem, why don't you just pick one up locally or even at the dealer. Shopping online sometime can save you money but don't forget the shipping charge and time consuming.

A bad battery USUALLY will not just shut down while driving. An alternator will more LIKELY to cause that. Have you ever gotten a chance to check the alternator ?

Regards,
Dave

Discontained · Post by **Discontained** » 04 Sep 2005, 23:32

dpauto.com wrote:If you are suspecting the battery is the problem, why don't you just pick one up locally or even at the dealer. Shopping online sometime can save you money but don't forget the shipping charge and time consuming.

A bad battery USUALLY will not just shut down while driving. An alternator will more LIKELY to cause that. Have you ever gotten a chance to check the alternator ?

Regards,
Dave

Hi, sorry i wasnt talking about the battery, but the alternator i was speaking of, i had them test it but was bad.. faulty etc.. i still am having trouble finding one online..

dpauto.com · Post by **dpauto.com** » 14 Sep 2005, 11:09

If it's the alternator, you might just need the voltage regulator (mounts behind the alternator). You can purchase the regulator separately.

Regards,
Dave