Any mechanics on duty?

[gittyup]

My Isuzu Rodeo has been acting funny for a week now. Sometimes, when you accelerate and then let off the gas, when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear for example, the parking brake and battery idiot lights on the dash blink. At the exact same time, you can hear the A/C cutting on and off. Once you reach a steady speed, it all goes away. This doesn't happen all the time, but seems to be getting more frequent. I was thinking maybe the alternator is bad, but I would have thought the battery would have been dead by now. I really don't have a good mechanic and shutter at the thought of getting reamed by someone for electrical problems. Any ideas? Thanks...

 

[Brutuskend]

Sounds to me like you may have a intermittent short someplace..

 

[Tominator]

Take it up to your local Autozone and let them do a chargeing system diagnostic. It's free. If you don't have an Autozone there call around to the major auto parts retailers and find one offering this service.

Once the chargeing system is eliminated and you've taken a close look at all connectors in the engine compartment and paid particular attention to grounding wires, it's time to get a professional involved.

He will use a 'computer' and interface with the one on your car and 'read the codes.' That should tell him exactly where the problem is.

Oh, btw, are you sure it's out of warranty? What year is it? Miles?

I'm NOT a mechanic!

 

[Bignate603]

Electrical problems are annoying. I had a large wire that ran from my battery somehow pop loose once and rub up on a belt. It wore a patch off then the wire fell back to where it was supposed to be so it looked like nothing had happened. Every now and then the wire would shift and touch the frame, shorting it out and causing me to loose spark. It took alot of fiddling around in the engine compartment to find where the short was. I ended up wrapping the thing in electrical tape then zip tying it back into place.

 

[Thegonagle]

I had that exact problem a long time ago. Turns out the third alternator in a row from a certain store (Big Wheel-Rossi, since bought out by Checker in my area) solved the problem.

Nobody will find anything wrong if they diagnose it while the problem is not occurring, so testing the charging system while it is operating properly will not eliminate anything.

The other idiot lights are often tied into the charging system light so you can see that they aren't burned out when you go to start the car, so that's why you're seeing all the lights come on with the charging system light. Check all the connections of all the wires attached to the alternator, and inspect all the insulation. If all that seems fine, experience would tell me to go ahead and replace the alternator.

 

[gittyup]

Tominator:


Great suggestion. The car is out of warranty. It's a 1997 with 51K miles on it. Not sure this is related, but about 3 weeks ago, the upper radiator hose had a small leak in it that blew anti-freeze in the engine compartment from the engine fan. Maybe that liquid shorted something. I do have a Autozone near me.

 

[LAUST]

Originally posted by: Tominator
Take it up to your local Autozone and let them do a chargeing system diagnostic. It's free. If you don't have an Autozone there call around to the major auto parts retailers and find one offering this service.

Once the chargeing system is eliminated and you've taken a close look at all connectors in the engine compartment and paid particular attention to grounding wires, it's time to get a professional involved.

He will use a 'computer' and interface with the one on your car and 'read the codes.' That should tell him exactly where the problem is.

Oh, btw, are you sure it's out of warranty? What year is it? Miles?

I'm NOT a mechanic!

Not a mechanic but very good advice, always eliminate what you can for free then start from there.

Grounds are amazing in how important they are also, they can make your life miserable if they are even slightly loose. Don't forget use a wire brush on your battery contacts also to cover that part of the equasion also.

 

[Tominator]

Well, although it may not be the chargeing system, it is always best to start with basic systems analysis.

Electrical components might fail a test yet that failure may not be evident 100% of the time. A battery may be bad yet after a jump the car might seem to run fine. A load test will show it bad yet it may start the car.

If you had someone under the hood recently that person may have knocked something loose.

Although antifreeze solution sprayed around the engine compartment should not short anything out if sprayed on the alternator it may have strained a worn part to the breaking point.

 

[gittyup]

I didn't get the car looked at yet, but notied something today. If I don't turn any accessory on ( A/C and radio), it doesn't do it.

 

[Brutuskend]

Sounds like it could be a voltage Regulator then, it's not set to a high enough setting. Or the Alt. is just not putting out enough...

(I had a girl friend like that once!)