Ineffableturbo

So Friday I drove the car to work, out around, and then back home. When I started going back home, I noticed my the lights for my VSA, VSA Triangle, ABS, steering wheel, and airbag all came on and stayed on. I thought it would go away after driving closer to home but when I went to turn on my street, the steering wheel felt very heavy (like a car without power steering).

When I got home, I was able to park, but then when I went to put my soft top and windows up, the car really struggled. When it finally did the close, my dash went blank, but the initial lights all turned off. So the speedo, tach, gas, and oil all went out. I rev'd the car and it was fine but I couldn't see anything. Coincidentally at this point, my headlamps turned off and my radio turned off and then back on.

I turned the car off and didn't drive it till today and the lights all came on about 8 miles into my drive to work. Steering super heavy.

Anyone know what's going on? I tried searching the forum and google with no real help.

The last 2 things I did to the car was my brakes replaced (rotors and pads) and a new master cylinder (which is the most recent, maybe 3 days before all this started) Battery and alternator changed 3 months ago but a shop stated it could be my alternator, but battery light came on maybe a week ago. CEL has been on because I am not using a CAT.

2006 with 99300 miles

lights


lights disappeared

windhund116

Are you able to get a readout on that Check Engine Light? OBDII?

hoobastnk90

Maybe battery or alternator? Simple test at autozone could tell ya that real quick.

Langelo DeMysterioso

Somehow ABS unit caused your lights to activate. I'd re-check all my brake stuff.

Ineffableturbo

I was going to go to a shop on my lunch break

They checked and said the battery is 100% but could not check the alternator

hmm, i'll try that out

Ineffableturbo

So I just did a battery reset by unhooking it for 2 minutes. Tried to turn the car on and it had no juice, so I'm thinking alternator?

When the shop replaced the alternator, we did not go with a Denso one if that matters?

Car Analogy

All your symptoms scream low voltage. From the start when reading your story, soon as you said all those dash warning lights came on, first thought, low voltage. As the story went on it just cemented the theory.

So, is it battery or charging system? You had battery checked, and supposedly its ok. Alternator is new, but its some off brand or something? In this car, I would only ever recommend a new oem alternator, a used oem one, or get your oem one rebuilt locally, if you can find a place that still does that. The last one is the best value option.

Its easy to get a basic read of health of battery and of charging system. Get a voltmeter. Harbor Freight gives them away free with a coupon sometimes, but even buying one its like $10.

Car off, meter set to read DC volts, read battery voltage. Put meter leads right on battery terminals. If its less than 12.6v, its low. You might think if your 12v battery read 12.0 volts on the meter you're good, but that is about 40% of fully charged, way low.

Next, start up car and read meyer again. Leads still connected to terminals. It should tead around 14.5 volts. Much lower than that, you have a charging system problem. Much higher than that, you have an overcharging problem (battery will cook and lose 'water').

Not that this is a definitive test, but its quick and easy and will give you an idea of battery and charging system health.

toztigger

ensure you havent blown the back up fuse, id check fuses first than work forward

Chuck S

Just to emphasize what CA noted. All the battery does is start the car. The alternator does the rest, beyond that the battery is just weight assuming the alternator can supply enough power. There are capacitors that will store enough energy to start the engine. Battery should be 12.6 to 12.7vDC at rest overnight disconnected with no load. Yeah it needs to be disconnected to get a true voltage as parasitic draws like the radio memory and remote locks constantly discharge the battery.. Alternator should be providing at least 13.6vDC with the engine running. The car will run without the alternator but not far (been so long since we tested this I but I'm pretty sure I got my Alfa 30 or 40 miles home after the generator failure). Turn everything Off, of course.

A buddy had an old Triumph GT6 (Spitfire coupe) that had such a poor alternator the headlights,defroster, and wipers could not be run at the same time or the battery would deplete. Great driving in the rain -- pick two.

-- Chuck

lookstoomuch

Yep pretty sure its you're alternator. Did you get a cheap "refurb" with a lifetime warranty? In the many years of reading car stories on forums those also mean a lifetime of of replacing alternators.

When the alternator in my minivan died Napa had a remanufactured Denso, which they explained was different than a refurb as the remanufactured have all wear components replaced vs refurb that only has the part that broke replaced.