Electrical problems
Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 2:29 pm
Hi, I have a 99 ssei with some electrical problems, mostly interior.
2 years ago my battery died and I replaced it with a Deka Intimidator AGM. Everything was working good except the radio kept losing its time.
Now the interior lights (not dash, just all reading lights and interior door lights) are flickering very dimly. Turning on the lights with any of the switches including turning the headlight knob will not turn on the lights - they just dimly flicker.
Also noticed that the horn sometimes does not sound when I lock my car with the remote - sometimes it does. Radio still loses time every day.
I checked the voltages and got the readings as follows:
After a day of being parked: battery was 12.4
Started just fine. ran it for 10 minutes.
with engine running: voltage was 14.4 with nothing on, 13.6 with headlights, defroster, ac on.
revving engine to about 2500 rpm did not cause any real change in these voltages.
measured voltage drop between neg terminal and car frame = 0.0, between neg and alternator casing = 0.01
between pos and alternator pos terminal = 0.02
turned off car: battery was 12.6
so, with all this info, are the battery and alternator ok? Car has original (13 year old) alternator.
Rebuilt alternator = $140 from local alternator shop, $265 from parts store. New = $300 from parts store, $500 from dealer.
In canada there is no autozone or pep boys for free testing, and Canadian Tire wants $50 for testing. Small alternator and parts shops just say replace alternator.
What to do about the electrical problems? bad ground somewhere?
2 years ago my battery died and I replaced it with a Deka Intimidator AGM. Everything was working good except the radio kept losing its time.
Now the interior lights (not dash, just all reading lights and interior door lights) are flickering very dimly. Turning on the lights with any of the switches including turning the headlight knob will not turn on the lights - they just dimly flicker.
Also noticed that the horn sometimes does not sound when I lock my car with the remote - sometimes it does. Radio still loses time every day.
I checked the voltages and got the readings as follows:
After a day of being parked: battery was 12.4
Started just fine. ran it for 10 minutes.
with engine running: voltage was 14.4 with nothing on, 13.6 with headlights, defroster, ac on.
revving engine to about 2500 rpm did not cause any real change in these voltages.
measured voltage drop between neg terminal and car frame = 0.0, between neg and alternator casing = 0.01
between pos and alternator pos terminal = 0.02
turned off car: battery was 12.6
so, with all this info, are the battery and alternator ok? Car has original (13 year old) alternator.
Rebuilt alternator = $140 from local alternator shop, $265 from parts store. New = $300 from parts store, $500 from dealer.
In canada there is no autozone or pep boys for free testing, and Canadian Tire wants $50 for testing. Small alternator and parts shops just say replace alternator.
What to do about the electrical problems? bad ground somewhere?
