Brought ner Alternator and Battery and same Problem

Tiny
JUDAHJEFFERSON
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 CADILLAC CTS
  • 150 MILES
I have a Cadillac CTS 2003 and it wont stay running! Took it to Advance Parts and the put it on the machines and they said the Alternator wasn't charging the battery. So I brought a new Alternator and battery. It ran fine for a day or two. And now it wont stay running again. Took it back to Advance parts and the put it on the machine again. And again it says Alternator wasn't charging the battery. So I had the Alternator tested and it works 100%. Now the battery snit getting charged because I need a jump to get it started. And still it won't stay running once I get a jump. Come to find out the reason the battery was out of cold cranking amps(remember this was the new battery). So I brought a new battery it keep the car running for a day or two just as the other one. And now the same thing. What could be the problem Please HELP!
Thursday, September 6th, 2012 AT 9:26 PM

5 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,873 POSTS
The generator isn't being turned on. Does the battery warning light on the dash turn on when you turn on the ignition switch to "run"? If it does, and it turns off after the engine starts running, measure the voltage at the battery and at the generator's large output terminal. The two should be the same.
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Thursday, September 6th, 2012 AT 9:37 PM
Tiny
JUDAHJEFFERSON
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  • 3 POSTS
Yes battery light does light up and turn off after car is started. How would I measure it. And if they are the same voltage what else could the problem be?
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Friday, September 7th, 2012 AT 12:02 AM
Tiny
JUDAHJEFFERSON
  • MEMBER
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Is the Alternator the same as the Generator because if so. I have already changed out the Alternator.
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Friday, September 7th, 2012 AT 12:10 AM
Tiny
CADIEMAN
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,544 POSTS
When they load test the system with the machine is the alt. Putting out amps?
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Friday, September 7th, 2012 AT 1:27 AM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,873 POSTS
Nice catch. As a former instructor I found it important to use correct terminology to prevent confusion. "AC Generator" is the standardized term the industry is going to. "Alternator" was introduced by Chrysler in 1960 and they copyrighted the term so you won't find it in most other service manuals. Regardless, whenever you say "alternator", everyone will know of which you speak and no one is going to correct you.

The voltage regulator inside the generator gets its turn-on signal voltage from the dash light circuit. Once it begins running the generator and it sees some output, it puts voltage back on that line to in effect cancel out the battery voltage, which turns the warning light off. That would imply that as far as the voltage regulator is concerned, it thinks the generator is working. If indeed it is, the output current is not getting back to the battery to keep it charged up.

Think of a garden hose with a kink in it. The water flow, (current) can't get through so you have high pressure at the faucet but little pressure at the nozzle. Voltage is electrical pressure. With a break in the wire between the generator's output terminal and the battery, you'll find the normal 13.75 to 14.75 volts at the output terminal while the engine is running but the battery voltage will stay at its normal 12.6 volts, or less. In that story the generator is trying to produce current but there's no place for it to go.

Most cars are using a bolt-in fuse in the under-hood fuse box for the generator's output wire. If yours has that, be sure those bolts are tight. Here again, the clue would be found by measuring the voltages on either side of it.

There are other potential causes of a no-charge condition but I've discounted some because the battery warning light appears to be working correctly. As for "How would I measure it", you need an inexpensive digital voltmeter. Harbor Freight Tools has a perfectly good one for less than ten bucks. I can help with how to use it but I'll wait to hear if I need to type all of that.
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Friday, September 7th, 2012 AT 3:43 AM

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