2008 Hyundai Accent New alternator and battery. Why does my car keep dying?
New alternator and battery. Why does my car keep dying?
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So recently I experienced some issues with my car where it would shut off while at idle. A mechanic suggested to me the symptoms seemed to point to my alternator or battery. The car has 102,000 miles on it and I was told it is not uncommon for an alternator to need replacing at this milage. Long story short, I replaced both the alternator and the battery. I also replaced my MAP and Crank Shaft Sensors. I changed the oil and replaced my main belt as well. The car currently can only be jump started. The alternator is not providing power to the battery according to my volt meter. I took the alternator back out and to the shop where they bench tested it and told me it was good. The voltage regulator seems to be built into the alternator so I ruled that out with the bench test. I tried following the wires to the battery but the wire bundle goes into the car and I lose the wires from the alternator. Can anyone point me in the right direction about what might be the issue?
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the alternator should have an output of 13-15 volts DC at the battery terminals with the engine running testing with a volt meter.all grounds hooked up,no corrosion anywhere? all tight,none loose...if you don't have that voltage above,you either have a short to ground on the harness or the alternator is bad!
Correct. I have checked all connections to make sure nothing is loose. There are no signs of corrosion. The voltmeter does NOT read 13-15 volts at the Battery terminals. The voltmeter reads about 11.5V at the terminals after being jumpstarted and the volts continue to fall until the car eventually dies.
once the battery gets that low,it is completely DISCHARGED,and the alternator WILL NOT recharge that battery!..you will need to charge the battery with a battery charger to get it back up to 12.6-13.00 volts!
Thank you. I will try putting the battery on a charger ASAP and see if that helps. Is that really a thing? The alternator won't send a charge to the battery if the battery is too low? Ive never heard of that. I will let you know if that works.
unhook the battery cables before charging it.and no,you should see the alternator output around 13.0-15.0 volts DC.like i said you have a short to ground somewhere or that new/reman alternator is bad.anytime you buy an ALT,STARTER or anything electrical from a parts house like the ZONE,get them to check it before you leave, always!
I have bench tested the alternator and it is good. I will disconnect the battery before charging the battery. If the problem is a short how would I go about tracking that down?
Check for alternator output at the alternator to determine if the power loss is before or after the alternator. If you have that 13-15 volts at the alternator that reinforces the short to ground. If not, the problem will be with the wires coming to the alternator. This should reduce the number of possibilities a little.
Thank you but it is very hard to check the voltage at the alternator. The power side to the alternator is a plug and not a screw on wire like I am used to. Not sure how I would use the voltage meter on that.
I'm having the same problem with a Hyundai Accent. Just charged the battery properly, started it once, and it lost charge overnite. Shows after market wiring for a sound system...so..short to ground?
I would look into a battery current sensor for your car this is monitored by the on board computer and tells regulates the load put on battery and voltage from alt.
The most common problem is the 120A alternator relay. A $5 fix! Probably will need battery charged or replaced because car has been running directly from it. Sorry U had to unnecessarily replace an alternator. Most people will have U do that as guesswork. Good luck
I have replaced everything in this thread. I have no clue where else to go with this. New alt. New battery new computer. Guess it's time to re wire it! Any other suggestions?
Correct. I have checked all connections to make sure nothing is loose. There are no signs of corrosion. The voltmeter does NOT read 13-15 volts at the Battery terminals. The voltmeter reads about 11.5V at the terminals after being jumpstarted and the volts continue to fall until the car eventually dies.
once the battery gets that low,it is completely DISCHARGED,and the alternator WILL NOT recharge that battery!..you will need to charge the battery with a battery charger to get it back up to 12.6-13.00 volts!
Thank you. I will try putting the battery on a charger ASAP and see if that helps. Is that really a thing? The alternator won't send a charge to the battery if the battery is too low? Ive never heard of that. I will let you know if that works.
unhook the battery cables before charging it.and no,you should see the alternator output around 13.0-15.0 volts DC.like i said you have a short to ground somewhere or that new/reman alternator is bad.anytime you buy an ALT,STARTER or anything electrical from a parts house like the ZONE,get them to check it before you leave, always!
I have bench tested the alternator and it is good. I will disconnect the battery before charging the battery. If the problem is a short how would I go about tracking that down?
i would start with the alternator wiring harness first,and check that big red wire that hooks to your alternator also...post results...
Check for alternator output at the alternator to determine if the power loss is before or after the alternator. If you have that 13-15 volts at the alternator that reinforces the short to ground. If not, the problem will be with the wires coming to the alternator. This should reduce the number of possibilities a little.
Thank you but it is very hard to check the voltage at the alternator. The power side to the alternator is a plug and not a screw on wire like I am used to. Not sure how I would use the voltage meter on that.
I'm having the same problem with a Hyundai Accent. Just charged the battery properly, started it once, and it lost charge overnite. Shows after market wiring for a sound system...so..short to ground?