Battery light came on yesterday?

GREGNYC

MEMBER
2004 ACURA TL
V6
2WD
AUTOMATIC
280,000 MILES

Battery light came on yesterday. Replaced the battery but the light stayed on. I was told (by tech at Oreilly's) it was probably the alternator. Went to a mechanic the next day. On the way, the battery light went off. The mechanic says the battery and alternator are fine, but I need a starter. I don't know what the starter has to do with the battery light. On the way home, the battery came on again. I'm confused. Don't know what to do now.

3 Replies

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
48,363 POSTS

Yep, the starter has nothing to do with it, the alternator is bad, and it needs to be replaced, alternator failures can be intermittent FYI. To be sure when the battery light is on you can check the alternator output by following this guide:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-alternator

Here are the instructions on how to change the part out so you can see what needs to be done. Check out the images (below). Let us know if you need anything else.

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Friday, February 2nd, 2024 AT 11:02 AM

GREGNYC

MEMBER
2 POSTS

So, the mechanic is incorrect? He ran a diagnostic and said the alternator is good. I'm confused.

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Friday, February 2nd, 2024 AT 11:21 AM

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
48,363 POSTS

Yes, it was working at the time, to double check to see if the alternator is bad, when the battery light comes on that is when the alternator should be tested as in the guide above. Alternators can go out intermittently.

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Saturday, February 3rd, 2024 AT 9:53 AM