alternator problems

myothercarisaferrari

Grrrrrr I hate cars :mad:

OK, so the battery went a few weeks ago. We changed it, it was fine for a few days and then last week the alternator went.

I managed to find a second hand alternator and a guy at work offered to fit it for me after a few garages saying they wouldnt do it. Great I thought.

He's finally fitted it but told me it won't turn over, despite charging it. I am guessing I have been send a faulty alternator?

Or is there any underlying problem it could be? I cannot afford to take it to a garage at the moment, I dont get paid till the end of the month.......

Premier_2

What won't turn over? The engine or the alternator?

With a charged battery, the engine should start and then you can check the output of the alternator.
If engine doesn't turn over, battery is no good under load (easily testable), starter is faulty or severe engine damage has occurred (unlikely).
Some other possible options, but they usually result in no starter noise ... and in all cases except faulty battery, I'm not sure why you suspect faulty alternator.

If the battery goes flat after leaving the car (and assuming battery is otherwise ok), then something's draining it, e.g. light in boot, perhaps alarm going off if you are not around, etc

myothercarisaferrari

I'm not sure its the battery. That was only fitted a week or so ago and it was testing fine.

I thought the alternator as it was put in today? maybe not connected properly>

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

Bump start it.

Wig

If he said "it won't turn over" to any competent mechanic that means you have a flat battery (or a duff starter motor (unlikely)) given that he said "despite charging it" it would indicate the battery is duff or was it just you who used those words ("despite charging it")

Given that you fitted a second hand battery, it may be your battery is no good.

However MANY people even those who pretend to know about cars (your friend?) they don't know what "turn over" means. They don't know the symptoms of a dead battery.

So you are going to have to describe to us what happens when you put your key in the ignition and turn the key - What happens EXACTLY? Do lights appear on the dash? What noises do you hear? How loud are those noises? Is the noise the sound of the engine trying to start?

And what happened EXACTLY before the alternator was swapped?

Was the car working today before installing the alternator? Have you been driving it? How much?

myothercarisaferrari

Wig wrote: »

If he said "it won't turn over" to any competent mechanic that means you have a flat battery (or a duff starter motor (unlikely)) given that he said "despite charging it" it would indicate the battery is duff or was it just you who used those words ("despite charging it")

Given that you fitted a second hand battery, it may be your battery is no good.

However MANY people even those who pretend to know about cars (your friend?) they don't know what "turn over" means. They don't know the symptoms of a dead battery.

So you are going to have to describe to us what happens when you put your key in the ignition and turn the key - What happens EXACTLY? Do lights appear on the dash? What noises do you hear? How loud are those noises? Is the noise the sound of the engine trying to start?

And what happened EXACTLY before the alternator was swapped?

Was the car working today before installing the alternator? Have you been driving it? How much?

Heehee Wig, sorry.

Right OK, a week ago last Friday the car wouldn't start. As in, I put the key in the ignition and it didnt make any sound. The battery light came on.

I called the RAC out who said it was the battery (he tested it and it was dead). I had a second hand battery from a scrappy already. He tested that and it was fine.

The car was fine for three days until the battery light came on again. Then the car wouldnt start. Again, when turning the key the car wasn't making any noise, just the battery light.

RAC came out again, said it was the alternator.

I tracked down a second hand alternator and have the left the car with my friend (walking 3 miles to work at 5am is great....). He changed it yesterday and said its doing the same thing. Key in ignition, battery light coming on.

The three days after the battery was fitted I drove a total of 12 miles.

Sooooo, does that make sense?

Wig

myothercarisaferrari wrote: »

Heehee Wig, sorry.

Right OK, a week ago last Friday the car wouldn't start. As in, I put the key in the ignition and it didnt make any sound. The battery light came on.

I called the RAC out who said it was the battery (he tested it and it was dead). I had a second hand battery from a scrappy already. He tested that and it was fine.

This guy should not be in his job, it is a 30 second job to test the alternator after fitting the 'new' battery, he clearly did not do this. As I said in the first thread, he should have checked the alternator before changing the battery, he could have and should have done that. I know you said he checked the voltage on the old battery, but at the end of the day this means nothing, we already knew the battery was dead, that doesn't mean it wouldn't be ok again after being charged. And checking the alternator is a totally different thing alltogether.

The car was fine for three days until the battery light came on again. Then the car wouldnt start. Again, when turning the key the car wasn't making any noise, just the battery light.

RAC came out again, said it was the alternator.

obviously

I tracked down a second hand alternator and have the left the car with my friend (walking 3 miles to work at 5am is great....). He changed it yesterday and said its doing the same thing. Key in ignition, battery light coming on.

Did he charge the dead battery? Of course it won't start if the battery is dead.

The three days after the battery was fitted I drove a total of 12 miles.

Sooooo, does that make sense?

Yes it makes sense, your old alternator was dead you probably had no need to change the first battery at all (as I said in your first thread). Your second battery lost it's charge, and it appears no-one has charged your battery so the car will start.
If you have a battery charger then charge it, (and whilst you're at it, charge your old battery)
If you don't then buy a charger
If you don't want to do that you can jump start it using jump start leads and another car with a running engine, then drive it a long time, (but the money you waste on petrol / jump leads would be better spent on a battery charger).
If you don't want to jump start it you can Bump start it, but you need to be on flat ground or downhill for that, and if it doesn't start you will be left with your car at the bottom of a hill.

Bottom line is, until you can get the engine to "turn over" by one of the 3 methods above you won't know if the new alternator is any good or not. And when you do get it to start FGS check the alternator is working.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=131748

tomstickland

Sounds like the battery is still dead. Fitting a new alternator won't magically charge a dead battery.

Tell him to get some jump leads on it.

myothercarisaferrari

Wig can you fix it for me?:rolleyes:
will try those suggestions x

harveybobbles

is it a GM product...?

Wig

My previous post is not meant to be impolite BTW, I can see it reads a bit rough.

I would happily do it for you, if you lived in certain areas of South Wales.
Like the areas that I frequent, but the chances of that are slim.