electrical blues

[VArova87]

tach hasnt worked for about 2 weeks, but my alt. is still charging so i didnt worry about it. tonight, while sitting in a parking lot during a thunderstorm (traffic was heavy, wasnt moving) my radio cuts out, lights dim, and my airbag and anit-lock brake lights come on. they come on and off, mostly on, while driving home. my interior lights go dim, and speedo drops every time i hit the brake. in other words, im driving on a dead battery. get home, cut off the engine, disconnect the batt for a few mins. hook it back up, car BARELY starts. check the volts on the batt, its perfect. 10 mins later, batt is still perfect and the alt is back to charging. my question: what in the WORLD is this foreign car doing? its got a mind of its own! anyways, is it possible for your alt to charge but your tach not to read it? is there some sort of gear running the tach that could go? also, any suggestions on how to mend this electrical system? thanks for the help.

[me.guevara]

Those were the very simptoms that I had when my alt started to go - it was an intermittent failure that became progressvely less intermittent. Sounds like you were running exclusively off the battery: the alt wasn't producing any energy or the energy it was producing wasn't making into the proper bus.

You should check all the electrical connections (clean, reseat), especially those to/from the battery and alt, check your fuses, and for peace of mind, have the alt checked at Autozone (or something like that - I understand some places do it for free).

If it is the alt, go for a Mean Green HD replacement...

Good luck!

[Muddy Oval]

Classic alternator death syndrome. I can't second the mean green suggestion, as I've heard mostly negative about them.

[FelixLockhart]

I had similar symptoms in my '95. Check the belt to make sure it's routed properly and that the tensioner is working. Also, make sure the battery is still holding a charge correctly. And, of course, have the alternator checked, or just replace it. You can get one at Advance for half the price of a factory one, or go for a Mean Green alt

[Disco Mike]

Originally Posted by VArova87

tach hasnt worked for about 2 weeks, but my alt. is still charging so i didnt worry about it. tonight, while sitting in a parking lot during a thunderstorm (traffic was heavy, wasnt moving) my radio cuts out, lights dim, and my airbag and anit-lock brake lights come on. they come on and off, mostly on, while driving home. my interior lights go dim, and speedo drops every time i hit the brake. in other words, im driving on a dead battery. get home, cut off the engine, disconnect the batt for a few mins. hook it back up, car BARELY starts. check the volts on the batt, its perfect. 10 mins later, batt is still perfect and the alt is back to charging. my question: what in the WORLD is this foreign car doing? its got a mind of its own! anyways, is it possible for your alt to charge but your tach not to read it? is there some sort of gear running the tach that could go? also, any suggestions on how to mend this electrical system? thanks for the help.

Sounds like the alternator for sure. When you checked your battery, how did you do it and what was the voltage?
Mike

[VArova87]

towed it to my local shop, turns out my alt was out completely. replaced it and its working fine, but my tach isnt working at all now (it wasnt before the alt went either). so a friend of mine has a brother that works at the LR dealer in knoxville. he is going to come up here in a few days and check her out. thanks for the help!

[VArova87]

ok guys, i NEED HELP! that new alt. is now not charging, batt is dead and when charged, it will keep the car running for about 20 mins then is dead again...its a brand new alt, so would a bad battery cause this? also, are there any other kind of electrical problems i should check for? ps, my tach still isnt working...what in the world could it be that keeps killing these alternators?

[nzoliver]

I would be looking at a new battery. Sound like the old 1 is going short circuit. Kills alternators dead.
My 2c worth.