do i need to replace alternator?

[rickztahone]

as i was getting off the freeway today my car decided to crap out on me. i pulled into a parking structure and i figured it was the battery due to the way the car died on me. it felt like it went on fail-safe mode, which i had never experienced and it hardly accelarated. my windows wouldn't work, pretty much nothing electrical, stereo included. i left my car there and went and got a new battery. i installed it and the car started right up but i still had the "check charging system" light on. i'm thinking my alternator might have crapped out and i'm solely running off of battery right now. i'm still at work right now and i have to drive it home, would this be a bad idea? I will check the alternator when i get home but i don't want to damage anything for the time being. any suggestions?

secondly, if i test the alternator and it's gone bad, where can i get one? does Maxx have them, if so does anyone know if it's a DIY job or will i have to take it in? i had replaced the alternator (under warranty) roughly 2 years ago. can an alt be bought at such places as auto zone or pep boys?

any help is appreciated her fellaz. thanks

 

[pektel]

have access to a voltmeter? start the vehicle, and hook up the voltmeter to the battery. if voltage continues to drop, then you either need to replace the alternator, or there is simply a loose connection between alt and battery.

 

[jolinc01]

I'd test the alt if the message is still on when you go to drive it again. I probably would not drive the car either, but that's just because I'm overly caution with my LS (read car with a touchy attitude). I'm also pretty sure you can pick up an alternator at a parts store.

 

[rickztahone]

checked the alt the old fashion way and yup, it crapped out. guess i'll be calling Maxx in the morning.

 

[joegr]

checked the alt the old fashion way and yup, it crapped out. guess i'll be calling Maxx in the morning.

If by "old fashion way" you mean that you disconnected the battery while the engine was running, that was a very bad idea. It is lucky for you that the alternator was bad. If it had been good, you might have fried most of the electronics on the car.

 

[rickztahone]

If by "old fashion way" you mean that you disconnected the battery while the engine was running, that was a very bad idea. It is lucky for you that the alternator was bad. If it had been good, you might have fried most of the electronics on the car.

luckily it was bad . i'm giving Maxx a call today

 

[rickztahone]

any DIY alternator thread's floating around here? any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[mespock]

Whatever you do ... do not buy from Autozone ... Max is a great source of parts that are going work ....

 

[rickztahone]

Whatever you do ... do not buy from Autozone ... Max is a great source of parts that are going work ....

funny you should say that, i called Maxx twice to try to catch him before the weekend and he did not respond. i left him a voicemail but he did not get back to me. i really needed to get it asap so i just called autozone and got the duralast that they have. although it has lifetime warranty i know their alts are not the best since i've bought some for my wife's car and my step-fathers. oh well, too little too late for me.