mkmike103

iTrader: (3)

I don't know if your other battery was replaced due to routine maintenance or was found to be bad/car didn't start, but battery light more than likely means bad alternator. If anything I wouldn't be surprised that the alternator killed your other battery then got bad enough to throw the light. Careful that the same doesn't happen to your brand new battery.

I've been in a vicious cycle of batteries dying and being replaced under warranty because my alt was on the fritz.

Good luck finding your problem.
Michael

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

I presumed, as did others, that that was was the voltage reading across the battery terminals with the car running and hence indicative of the alternator output, which again is low. Of course they should also check the battery's capacity as well as its instantaneous voltage level.

Leesha

Can Someone tell me what reading they get with the car off???

The dealers said I didn't give them enough time to do more test. So the readings were given when the car was off. He also said it would be the same if the car was running. They do a series of test both with it running and off but the voltage test was done on the battery with the car off.

Will Scan little reading paper.

I will go to my original dealer in oakville as they are super nice there and know what they are doing and leave it there with them. Maybe some time next week.

Leesha

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

Get a new dealer Leesha as it is defintely not the same voltage reading running and off.

Again, with the car running you should be about 14V (alternator output).

And again, they should also do a battery capacity test. Just because it reads 12V doesn't mean it's still capable of conveying adequate amperage.

Lastly, the connections to the battery posts need to be in good condition, clean and tight.

Mazurfer

^....+1 on what Huey said.................but now I'm thinking that with what she is saying about the light going off and on while driving that it could be the belt slipping...............or.......the alternator just isn't doing much of anything and when the A/C compressor cycles on, it maybe dragging the voltage down enough to light the battery light.
I monitor my battery voltage full time with a gauge and car running is 14v as stated many times, but when the A/C compressor kicks on, I can see it drop for a second or so as low as down to 12.5v
So if her alternator is weak, and compressor cycles on, it could be dragging down the voltage low enough to make that light flash.
Anybody know or care to test exactly what voltage will cause the light to illuminate?


Leesha.......if they really said that it reads the same(12.5v) running or not, then your alternator is toast or they are complete idiots.
If let's say it really does read that way(off and on), then you are running ONLY off the battery and that will not last long at all and you will be buying yet another battery. This cycle will continue until you get the charging system fixed.

BG-8

Read again buddy!


basically they are saying that it would show the same ON or OFF.


maybe with their big @ss machine, but it shows different with my small Digital Multimeter.

Mazurfer

Okay................if you mean this qoute from Leesha............"The dealers said I didn't give them enough time to do more test. So the readings were given when the car was off. He also said it would be the same if the car was running. They do a series of test both with it running and off but the voltage test was done on the battery with the car off". And if she heard it right, then it confirms the person that said that is clueless.

I just can't imagine someone at a dealership and or garage EVER saying such a thing!

mkmike103

iTrader: (3)

sigh

I surely hope they didn't say that the readings would be the same, car on or off. 12v is normal for a sitting battery (car off), 13.8v+ should be sufficient for a running vehicle, usually in the 14v's.

I still say if the light's on, somethings awry with your alt.

Interested to know the diagnosis!
Good luck.
Michael

Leesha

Yes this is what was said. Sad but true. He also wanted to charge me $40 to hook the car up and run the test!! I said no way was I going to pay when this light didn't go on before they changed my battery.

Needless to say I didn't pay. I will go to the dealer I purchased from and see the out come.

On the brighter side of things the light didn't go on yesterday at all and I drove to work and back at 120km-135km. It was raining so not sure if the moisture helped. Guessing game till I bring it in. This weekend I'll be away but will make arrangements for next week if the light comes back.

Mazurfer

Leesha,
Since you say the light didn't come on and it was raining, and before this you've said when it does come on it's only for like two-three seconds...........
It really could just be a somewhat loose belt as moisture in the air might actually effect the it to some degree. Also, since it was raining...did you have the A/C on or maybe just defrost? I can't help but wonder with it coming on/off every once in a while if it's not when the A/C compressor kicks on. Try this for the hell of it............don't turn on the A/C right away, but drive for a pinch and then turn it on while driving and see if the light comes on for a short time when you turn it on.

Leesha

Well it didn't come on today yet so far. I don't use my ac...lol...like the windows rolled down so it couldn't be that.

Maybe when the loosened it to check the battery they did something. Who knows. I'll figure it out soon and will be back.

Leesha

****...****...****!! No luck finding anything wrong. Had another reading done that gave a reading of 12.83V. The starter Test read Normal at 11.23V and the Charging test was ok at 14.03V.

The dealers could not get the light to go on but sure enough when I just picked it up and drove to work the battery light came on. Had my music up loud and doing about 125km on the highway.

Anyone know what could be wrong since both dealers have no clue? Could it be a faulty battery???

Neo

Maybe you're playing the music so loud, it's loosening some cable connections???

I haven't heard of anything like this before. Are there any electrical items that could be under stress or pressure? Everyone checked the fuses?
Have anything under neath your front seats?

Leesha

I have the Led lights that stay on with my running lights which are never on when I get the reading. How would the fuses effect the battery light?

Also have lighting underneath my front seats yes. But once again they only go on with my running lights. I'm a daytime driver...lol...

nate340

do you have any after market stereo equipment? having the music up loud with a decent sub and amp could cause the light to flicker.

you could also try turning on everything rear defrost, air conditionings, music, etc.

will eventually figure out what conditions are causing the light to flicker.

are you getting any other symptoms like sweeping gauges or anything?

Leesha

I have the factory stereo and no other 'symptoms' My car is sick... So is this flicker something I can just leave and not worry about??

Neo

Well there you go... you forgot to mention you've got some lighting done in the interior.
I wonder what the odds are of the 3rd party wiring causing a bit of a flicker in the main factory wiring???

I think someone might have fudged a wire somewhere when they last serviced your vehicle. And now the battery light is going on.

It's going to take a bit of trial and error...

TheWulf

iTrader: (4)

^ it's possible. I once hooked up a gauge wire to a switched power wire behind the radio and the gauge cluster went insane. Picked a different switched wire and everything was fine.

Leesha

Its not a flicker though. It stays on from 3secs to 10secs or more sometimes. What wiring could they have worked on? Nothing but a battery change that's all since it started.

Mazurfer

Leesha, I know you don't use your A/C, but just for the hell of it............next time you are out driving around and no battery light is on, please turn on your A/C and watch to see if the battery light comes on and then after a few seconds it goes out. If it does pop on with the A/C and then goes off..........turn the A/C off.....and then maybe repeat this a few times, then report back.
I'm simply trying to confirm there is an instantaneous load that is causing the light to pop on and then go off.
I monitor my voltage via a gauge and I can see it drop almost 1 1/2 volts momentarily when the A/C compressor kicks on. Doesn't light my battery light when it does this, but would be interested if it does in yours.

Leesha

Ok will do roger that...

Leesha

No not really...see it came on but only comes on 1 out of 5x with the AC. But with the stereo and the cd playing loud and going 120-135km it comes on. Any ideas??

Also there was this one time...lol...in band camp... when the stereo was playing and my Led running lights were on & I could see them fading to the beat of the music. Could that have anything to do with anything? It was drain power somehow. Maybe because the LED's were on??

Neo

I think it's the way those LED's were wired that could be causing the problem. Are those the OEM lights or 3rd party LED's??

I've seen LED's do some crazy things to cars whenever you try to swap them out in place of the traditional bulbs.

Footman

iTrader: (2)

You have a high resistance wire somewhere in your connection. It's activated by vibrations of your car.

If the only thing they started ******* around was your battery. Check for frayed wires. I would put a megger between the terminal and the fuse box and start violently shaking the wires to check for change in resistance with your meter.