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View Full Version : EXTREMELY low power


Sabz5150
08-29-2004, 06:57 PM
Got a problem, been a problem for a little while...

My car's electrical system gets drained too easily. I can have my headlights on and have the voltage drop to almost 12 when I apply the brakes. It drops even more when I have things like the defroster on. My headlights dim when I roll my windows up!!! When it's just the car running, it's registering 14.1 volts.

I thought it was bad wiring with my stereo, so I am working on redoing all of it, but even without the radio in or on, it still does this. The lady at the local Advance said the battery had a low charge but was fine.

Since then I've replaced my battery with an Optima red top and I've replaced my alternator. No help, although the redtop did help a bit. My battery light doesn't come on at all either.

Any ideas? Suggestions?
A20A1
08-29-2004, 06:59 PM
Ground wire?

Battery cable connections?
Vanilla Sky
08-29-2004, 07:23 PM
weak link sound like the wiring between your alternator and fuse panel... go ahead and replace all of the main power wire... that happened to me, too... just had to repair my wiring and it worked like charm
shepherd79
08-30-2004, 03:07 AM
sounds like your alternator is giving you a crap.
it should be 14.4 when the car idles.
PortugalFocus
08-30-2004, 05:02 AM
sounds like your alternator is giving you a crap.
it should be 14.4 when the car idles.

I agree, it sounds like you alternator is not putting out propper voltage.
Sabz5150
08-30-2004, 07:28 AM
I agree, it sounds like you alternator is not putting out propper voltage.

Damn thing's brand new. It was doing the same thing with the previous alternator on there (hence why I replaced it).
shepherd79
08-30-2004, 08:01 AM
take it to autozone and they should be able to tell you what is wrong with your electrical system
accordlxi2.0
08-30-2004, 10:16 AM
or do this: disconnet the battery cable's, let the engine run with the alt. only.
then turn on the a/c fan on full blast.
if it still run's then, turn on your light's.
if it still run's turn on your system, like 1/2 way or full blast if ya can.
if it still run's turn on everything else, if it still run's damn your alt is fine.

i know on the efi engine's it has a couple of wire's goin to the ecu i belive it tell's the alt to come on or not.
racerx
08-30-2004, 02:03 PM
weak link sound like the wiring between your alternator and fuse panel... go ahead and replace all of the main power wire... that happened to me, too... just had to repair my wiring and it worked like charm

i'm having similar problems. so what in the fuse panel was causing your problem? (you're talking about the under-hood fuse panel, right?)


i know on the efi engine's it has a couple of wire's goin to the ecu i belive it tell's the alt to come on or not.

can anyone confirm this? (not that i don't trust you, but you don't sound too sure... and i'd rather not screw up my ECU too...)

also, would it be ok to just hotwire the alternator output to the battery?