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1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue

Question: lost power while driving

Question

melman429, 3.5L V6, Springfield, OH, June 12, 2011, 21:00
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my battery light came on a few days ago and when i went to get it diagnosed, my car lost all power. the gauges went nuts and if i put a good battery in, the car starts and runs fine, til it loses juice. i had the alt tested and its good, and all 3 batteries are good. any help is appreciated

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  • Answer #1

    DaveJHM June 12, 2011, 22:12
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    The alternator is NOT good.

    Your description is of a classic alternator / voltage regulator problem. Who has tested the alternator, and how?

    The only thing that will turn a battery light on is low charging system output. You have the classic symptoms and the warning light. It's rather cut and dry.

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    melman429, June 13, 2011, 12:08
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    advance auto tested it. im going to check the wires for damage or corrosion. could their test be bad?

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    DaveJHM, June 13, 2011, 21:30
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    It's basically a question as to how they tested it. They need to check for charging amperage output, and voltage output. The test needs to be performed at 2000 RPM. At 2000 RPM, the voltage should be around or above 14.0 volts. The amperage should be 75-90 at that time too.

    If either figure is way off (like 13.7 or below, or below 50 amps) - then there is no question of the failure.

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