You can type here any text you want

Car is trashing alternators...

Welcome!

By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

SignUp Now!

80sportcoupe

Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2001
Messages
57
I'm on my second battery and alternator in the last 2 weeks- I can't find anything overtly wrong with the system, neither can my friendly neighborhood mechanic.

Once installed, the alternator runs and charges fine for about a day, or until the car gets a good highway run and warms up- then comes the volt light... and sure enough, when tested the alternator is weak.

My wife remembers a string of four or five alternators going through the car when she first got it 12+ years ago, but can't remember why...

Anybody seen this problem on their TR?
 
Alternator / Battery

If you have replaced the battery and alternator ,there is not much left of the electrical system!

I had a case of fuse links blowing and eventully traced it to an intermittent wiring short between the engine and chassis. It only happened when I booted it.

If you have a short that is large enough to blow alternators ,but not fuse links, I would look into the starting circuits.
 
Alternator problem

I had a similar problem with my Turbo Monte Carlo. I went through 3 or 4 batteries, alternators and distributer control modules before In found the simple solution. It turned out to be one of the prongs on each of the alternators I had. Make sure the prongs are bent in enough towards the connector contacts on the wiring, otherwise it will cause the alternator charge to surge up and down, imitating several other problems. Let me know what you find out. Good Luck
 
Mine keeps blowing the diode out. I've replaced the diode twice & the regulator once. Each time the stupid volt light stayed off for one day, then right back on again. The alt. itself always tests good though, it's just the diode that keeps testing bad & going out. Every since I upgraded from a 400cca battery to a new battery with 800 cca, it hasn't gone dead. I know that's not a permanet fix, but I'm tired of messing with it.
 
Last one looks good

Well, i guess I got two bad alternators in a row, or else me wearing the garlic necklace this time helped ;) The car parts place was getting tired of me swapping out those 800 cca batteries...

This set seems to be holding up and charging, but the volt light still comes on intermittently :rolleyes: I'll look into that diode this weekend.

Thanks-
 
Back
Top