Day after the warranty expires, the battery light comes on. The car runs and starts just fine, the manual says it could be a battery charging system or alternator. The light been on since yesterday and goes away sometimes. I am going to a shop to get it looked at tomorrow, but wanted get an idea what the problem might be and see how much the parts are online so I won't be overcharged.

 

How old is the battery?
Any aftermarket stereo?
Do you have a meter? If so, you can start it and check the voltahe to make sure the alternator is okay..................should read 13.7 to 14.2v with the car running. At this oint, I think you probably are just going o need a new battery, but also go make sure your terminals are clean and not corroded!

 

The battery is less than a year old , I don't have stereo just the electronics in my sig. I' am going to check the terminals right now.

 

the terminals were little bit dirty I cleaned them,but the battery light is still on.

 

If it was the terminals, then it wasn't getting a charge, so they only way you will know is to drive the car for awhile and see if it goes away(charges up) and stays off. This would take awhile and might require a drive for about 20 minutes.

I take it you can't go anywhere and get the voltage read while it's running? That way, you'd know if it was the alternator......which it very well may be. Autozone would probably read it for free. Don't shut it off anywhere on this drive or you may get stuck!

 

If it's the alternator, you're running on the battery. I wouldn't drive it very far unless you're looking to get towed back. Once the battery dies, the engine and everything electrical will quit.

 

To this point.........you use to be able to pull the battery terminal while the car was running and if it died, that meant bad alternator. Does anyone know if that is still true in this day and age?
Ericok is right.............you could be running on battery and this method above may tell you that before you go drive off and get stranded.

 

It turns it was the alternator. I went to the shop yesterday and light for battery went away by time I got there. He still looked at thought most likely a lose connector and tightened it for me. But today light came back while I was driving (likely I was driving in parking lot) the car power goes out. I was able to steer it and park it. I got the battery charged at autozone and drove the car to the shop so they can look at it on monday.

 

Keep us updated, because after your latest post(assuming alternator was changed)......now I'm leaning the other way and that the battery is just no good and they gave you a new alternator for no reason.......if it was changed.

I may just be confused however.

 

Nothing been changed yet. I went to the shop on friday and they thought it was just a lose battery cable causing the warning light. He tightened the cables at no charge. But then yesterday while I was driving power for the car went out, like Ericok said would happen. Instead paying to get the car towed to the shop , I got the battery charged and drove it there. The shop is closed on the weekends so I have to go tomorrow to find out about the cost.

 

yea, its the alternator but NOW your battery is also dead cause you drove around on just battery power.

kevin.

 

But it is new. You just have to charge it over night.

 

how new? over a year? regulaer batteries are not designed to be fully discharged. once a batery is fully discharged its abilities to perform are normally halved each time.

do you want a handicapped battery/charging system on a car known for poor starting and poor ignition?

plus for the them inaccurately diagnosing your car the first time and causing this instead of preventing it by load testing the electrical system id want the tow and the work to be free, including a new battery. but hey maybe thats just me?

kevin.

 

The battery is fine autozone tested it and fully charged it. The battery is less than year old and is still covered under warrenty. Also I didn't drive around on battery power on purpose. The warning light would go on and off ; I took it to a shop they thought they fixed it by tightening the connections but it was the alternator.