Several issues.. probably all related

kjlee2112 · Post by **kjlee2112** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 8:18 am

96 V6 Base Automatic
These are all the symptoms I've encountered over the past 2 days: My battery light turns on, but only when I step on the gas, then it fades away slowly. My fuel gauge(i'm basically on E) goes WAY past the F--for about 10 seconds, and then returns to where the actual fuel level is. My radio started to get all staticky--I have an amp in the trunk. My ABS light turned on the first time I hit the brakes after turning the car on. My windshield wipers are moving dramatically slower then they should be. When I got home, I turned off my radio and just sat there to see if anything else was happening(while my wipers moved quite lethargically), and the oil light turned on, along with the ABS. When I restart the car all the lights go out--essentially starting the whole process over again. I swear I have a ghost car. haha.

Is this just a battery problem, or could it be worse, like the ECM?

As I usually do, I wait for the opinion of this website before taking it in for work because you guys are totally awesome.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 8:45 am

Personally, I'd have the battery and alt. checked I've seen these symptoms before on a friends car. he'd be driving and the door ajar bell would start ringing. lol His turned out to be an alt. hope this helps.

1988GTU · Post by **1988GTU** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 9:34 am

AutoZone Tests Alts For Free Same Goes For The Battery.
The Battery Could Have A Bad Cell Causing The Alt To Work Overtime & Now The Alt Had Enough Of The Overtime & is Now Quitting. Autozone Will More Than Likely Say The Both Are Good When You Have Them Tested. What I Would Do Is Run The Car As Is Getting All The Problems Popping Up, & When You Pull Into There Lot, Pop Out The Battery & If You Can, The ALt Too... Right Then & There (I guess I wasn't clear: Take it off the car in the lot and bring the parts in the store). What Kind Of Codes Are You Getting?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 9:59 am

If you take it to Auto zone or Advance auto to test it take them out of the car. The bench testers are MUCH more accurate. the portable testers are a joke (I know I once worked at both stores) Oh and make sure you get s/one who has been there awhile some times they tend not to train the younger employees on the testers as well as they should. thats my .02 anyways.
Tom

kjlee2112 · Post by **kjlee2112** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 1:59 pm

Thanks for your advice, guys. I did figure out that the power wire connecting to the alternator was really frayed, and that that was possibly the reason why it was doing this--well... after i put a new wire on there, the bolt connecting to the alternator came out... the back nut(inside the alt.) either snapped off or unscrewed, so I had to get a new one anyway. I got it and everything after a while, but is there any EASY way to use the freakin' tensioner? It's so close to the wheel well that you can't get your hand in there to de-tense it, as it were...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 8:15 am

They make a special tenmsioner tool for it makes it ALOT easier

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