brianstarr58 Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 1995 Cutlass Convertible with brand new battery. Completely dead 2 days after brand new battery...no lights, radio, nothing. Had it towed to the shop and after 4 days of them being puzzled they called and said that it was the alternator. Even though car was only started once after new battery was installed. Does this sound right. Can an alternator completely drain a battery in 2 days even though the car was not moved? Also they want to charge me 380.00 to install the alternator...sounds high to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicMechanic Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 Yes, a bad alt. can drain a battery in very little time. 3.4 alternators are VERY hard to change. So $380 is not bad... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRONDOG442 Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 No way I'd do that job for $380 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstarr58 Posted July 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 I just want to be clear...are you saying that a brand new fully charged battery put in on a tuesday night and only started once can be drained completely by thursday because of a bad alternator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicMechanic Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 I had a bad alternator drain a new battery overnight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuminaPower92 Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 Its definitely possible, Im dropping the motor out of the convertible im doing now, im going put a new alt in there before i put it back up in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 wait before you get into an alternator. When you start the car is everything bright, an easy way to test the alternator output is to jump start the car with a jump pack and then it is running disconnect the jump pack and see if it stalls, if it does then it is the alternator or fusible link. sometimes and unseen light may run down a battery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gp13069 Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 i like the unseen light idea better than a $380.00 hose job At a shop that did not test the alt at all. Or at least you did not say they did or did not test it. I would go with the unseen light, amp, radio, push button ele. trunk latch if you got 1. I had a 1990 gp ste batt. went dead after both alt. and batt. were replaced it was about the 2 day time frame you described here so save the $380.00 for the gas you will burn next month. My problem was the trunk thing it locked on parked the car for two days to hang with friends came back and no start . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstarr58 Posted July 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 they said that they tested the alternator and that was definitely the problem. I trust these guys( as much as you can trust a mechanic). After I have them fix it I'll have them leave the car sitting for three days just to make sure that was the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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