blakngold4life Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 While I was on my way home I accelerated on the interstate and the battery light flashed a few times then went off. About a half our later on the same trip the light flashed again, then went off. A few minutes after that it came back on along with the anti-lock light and stayed on. When I parked the car to listen it was idling a little rough, then after it was turned off it won't start. Has this happened to anyone before and would you assume its the alternator or the battery? (92 Z34) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 i would assume the alt, but try charging the battery and see if its holds charge. if it does, then its the alt for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldscsc Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 What was your batt. gauge showing this whole time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakngold4life Posted November 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 What was your batt. gauge showing this whole time? Only gauges I have are are fuel pressure, temp, speedo, tach and gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldscsc Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 Sorry. I thought Z's got rally gauges, as well as some euro's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicMechanic Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 Check the aux. post on the driver's strut tower...Make sure it's clean and tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 x2 on what manic said. but from the sounds of it most likely alternator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 sounds like alternator. Been there before lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 ABS light on means alternator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiderw31 Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 Sounds like the alternator to me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venom Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 Charge up the battery and take it to Autozone/Advance and have them test the whole cahrging system for you so you know for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 ABS light on means alternator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakngold4life Posted November 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 Thanks for the info, oh the joys of owning an old car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldscsc Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 W's aren't known for alternators, although it isn't ridiculous for an alternator to go out after fifteen plus years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 LQ1 alternator. Have fun with that. I used to be able to do it in less than 1 hour. It's not hard, just most people aren't willing to attempt to do any work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 LQ1 alternator. Have fun with that. I used to be able to do it in less than 1 hour. It's not hard, just most people aren't willing to attempt to do any work. Its probably not as bad as some people make it sound. This coming from the guy who spent 2 days to get LIM gaskets done on a 3800. Then again, I take my sweet time when I work on my cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakngold4life Posted November 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 Just went and looked at it, started right up with no ses or battery light. Could a bad alternator be intermittent or does this mean it is most likely a loose wire somewhere? The engine hasn't been in the car but for a few months so i'm sure some wires could have came loose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakngold4life Posted November 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 Drove the car for a couple weeks and all was fine, battery light came on today and on a separate trip both the battery light and anti-lock came on. As I was backing up to park the radio began to cut on and off and the car started running a little rough. If its the alternator why would it have been fine for multiple weeks and bail out now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 Could a bad alternator be intermittent yes. thats how mine died. BTW there is a good write up by Slick on how to replace it. its stickied somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 It's in the FAQ, 2nd page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venom Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 Drove the car for a couple weeks and all was fine, battery light came on today and on a separate trip both the battery light and anti-lock came on. As I was backing up to park the radio began to cut on and off and the car started running a little rough. If its the alternator why would it have been fine for multiple weeks and bail out now? Why not just have the system checked as I indicated before so you dont have to keep guessing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismellrealbad Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 ABS light on means alternator. extremely true...if scanned abs code will be 'low system voltage' W's aren't known for alternators, although it isn't ridiculous for an alternator to go out after fifteen plus years. ur kiddin right? ws shit out alts like a dog with a stomach virus. a lot of other cars do as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RareGMFan Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 Could a bad alternator be intermittent yes. thats how mine died. That's what my dad's Euro was doing, too, before we replaced the 1 year old NAPA alt. That cured it (at least, for another few months ). W's aren't known for alternators, although it isn't ridiculous for an alternator to go out after fifteen plus years. ur kiddin right? ws shit out alts like a dog with a stomach virus. a lot of other cars do as well x 2. GMs are known for bad alternators, period. Why would the alts go out on some GMs, and not others if they're using the same handful of alternators? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olds W31 Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 Could a bad alternator be intermittent yes. thats how mine died. If you have a bad diode it can be intermittent. You can actually replace it, but in all likelihood you would want to do the whole alternator. Diodes are cheap (er) than even a rebuilt alt...but you have to take it apart/fix it/get it back together and in the time it takes to do that you could have one with new bearings, etc. with a warranty. If you buy auto store (OR, Autozone, etc), if the lifetime warranty is available, might want to consider it. I needed 3 alternators on my Suburban I used to have....only bought/paid for 1 of them (warranty x2). I would swap them in the parking lot of Autozone....they loved me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 Seriously, can you get the hint? ABS light on means alternator. ABS light on means alternator. ABS light on means alternator. I hint sarcasm! :lol: ABS light on means alternator. extremely true...if scanned abs code will be 'low system voltage' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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