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My battery light keeps coming on and I lose power

Tiny
THERESAFORD
  • MEMBER
  • 2001 CHEVROLET CAVALIER
  • 150,000 MILES
I am having an electrical problem with my 2001 chevy cavalier. The battery light keeps coming and eventually the car loses power and turns off. We have changed the alternator, battery, the serpentine belt and we have checked all of the fuses. We are at a lost for what the problem could be and cannot afford to take it someone to get it fixed. Any suggestions?
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 AT 9:56 PM

13 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
So is the battery light always on?Did you have the alternator you changed tested before changing the alternator?Do you have a multimeter to do some testing?
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 AT 10:07 PM
Tiny
THERESAFORD
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  • 7 POSTS
Another thing I probably should mention. When it is running and we turn the air conditioning off and on. It creates a drag on the power. Thought maybe this might help.
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 AT 10:24 PM
Tiny
THERESAFORD
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  • 7 POSTS
We did have the old alternator tested. My son ran a diagnostic on the car and it is showing a power loss on the gray wire. But when we took it to the auto parts store and they tested it, they said that it could be the red wire. These are the wires that connect the alternator to the battery.
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 AT 10:26 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
The gray wire is a input into the computer for the battery light. Unplug the connector to the alternator then with the key in the run position see if the red wire in the connector has battery voktage?Also make sure the large red wire held on with a nut has batterry voltage?Also what is the voltage at the battery with the engine at idle?
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 AT 10:37 PM
Tiny
THERESAFORD
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  • 7 POSTS
Do you unplug the gray wire?
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 AT 11:08 PM
Tiny
THERESAFORD
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
Oh I see you unplug the connector. Forget it
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 AT 11:09 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Yes let me know what you find.
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 AT 11:10 PM
Tiny
THERESAFORD
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
Okay there is no voltage on the battery nut
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 AT 11:39 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
There we go there is a fuseable link that runs in that wire.
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 AT 11:46 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
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Heres the diagram to show you whagt iam talking about.
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 AT 11:50 PM
Tiny
THERESAFORD
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  • 7 POSTS
So what do I do
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 AT 11:51 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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See if the wire before the fuseable link has power?If so you will have to replace the fusable link.
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 AT 11:55 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Also make sure that wire is shorted to ground somewhere.
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 AT 11:59 PM

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