charging system issues..HELP!!!

[-Ray-]

And one last thing. How accurate are the tests autozone runs. Can I take what they tell me to the bank?

CCA's are cold cranking amps. This is the power the battery stores to turn the starter. Obvious not an issue where you are, but heat can kill a battery also. Autozone is in business to sell batteries, if the tool they use tells you the battery is good, I'll accept that. First thing in the morning is a good time to check state of charge in engineering mode. Looks to be about 68 degrees at 7 am.
I have 2 different chargers for my cars and tractors.
I have the standard 6v 12v charger with 2 amp or 15 amp charge with a start 60 amp switch. The green led lights when the battery is fully charged. I've done this outside and inside the G8. Each time state of charge was 100 percent.
I also have a Ctek which I usually rotate between battery's during the Winter. It will also fully charge a battery and keep it charged.

You must be tired of pulling that alternator.

[WhatNext]

How accurate are the tests autozone runs. Can I take what they tell me to the bank?

Well, unless they put a big load on the battery, I wouldn't believe the test. When my battery died amongst the wave of dead G8 batteries around the 3 yr mark, Walmart put a hand held tester to my battery and declared it GOOD. My response was "change it".

There are setups that will load the battery to test it. You need some big resistor banks so I doubt a little hand held tester will do that.

[Chewy]

Batteries Plus has a load bank they use to really test a battery. That being said, a battery less than a year old isn't usually the problem, but of course it's possible.

My car is always on a Deltran Battery Tender Jr. when parked (which is most of the time). I've used them for years on my motorcycles and they extend the life of a battery 2-3 times in my unscientific test. They're cheap at like 25 bucks and have a pigtail you install so hookup is super simple.

[Napalm]

my nearest autozone does have a pretty solid battery tester with Load simulator on it. It's on a cart. What I don't like is they don't exactly teach the people there how to correctly use the machine.

so meh.

I still wonder if you're somehow killing the alternator's rectifier circuits. (I assume here the field load and the supply side are unaffected).

Something I would test - and the alternator test should do this too - is with a multi-meter set on AC Volts check the AC volts at the battery terminals with the car running, headlights on, and AC on or radio - either way.

This should ideally come up 0.0. However nothing is Ideal. So values below 1 VAC are good. OH and when you put probes on - you need to give it a second to settle. Many Multimeters do a RMS reading and it needs a second or two to settle in because the frequency isn't steady.

AC voltage is bad on batteries and the effects multiply. If your VAC is high the rectifier circuit is dead or dying and that is not good - but I think you're already at that stage now.

On other issue - and I believe this is hard to test without a scan too - is the BCM varies the field load on the alternator. It's the smaller wires connected to the alternator. That voltage varies based on what the computer demands from the alternator, I believe there is a chart in the manual for testing. IF the computer demands lower current, but the needs of the car are actually higher - then you can setup a feedback where the car needs pull hard on the rectifier circuits that aren't being supplied with enough current from the AC side of the alternator. IE it kills itself. And it does so because either the computer is reading the demand load of the car wrong - or it has an internal fault of it's own.

In either case you should have a trouble code related. But I don't seem to read that in your posts.


Sight unseen I still have this suspicion that your battery is killing your alternator. My other suspicion is your repair service lied to you or didn't fully test your re-build. OH how old is your battery? what flavor is it?

[ft2lewis]

Im not feeling to great right now, but I'll run through everybody's tests when I get out of work tomorrow. The battery is less than a year old (purchased in may if memory serves me correctly)and it's a gel type, forgot brand but can check tomorrow. Since I've got the procharger in now, I've been pulling the alternator through the wheel well. Huge pita. I'm am so ready for this problem to be a thing of the past. I'll try to get more info tomorrow but I definitely appreciate the help in the mean time.

[Napalm]

Hope you feel better - sucks to have other issues while sick. Good Luck.

[Sheffield Steve]

I hope that you mean it's an AGM battery? If it's a truly a gel battery, it will have been fried by the alternator.

The battery is less than a year old (purchased in may if memory serves me correctly)and it's a gel type, forgot brand but can check tomorrow.

[ft2lewis]

Not really sure, I haven't had the time to get out there and look. I know i got agel type from O'Reilly. I got the replacement alternator from Ray on Saturday. Once I get a chance, I'll toss it in and let you guys know.

[ft2lewis]

It was an agm battery btw. Still need to put the alternator in. Hopefully Tuesday

[ft2lewis]

so the alternator is in now and seems to be working. so far. ill update later next week