Electrical Problem

bulittle · August 27, 2009

I have been having an electrical problem with my 2003 Chevy Avalanche. About a month ago my I woke up one morning and my car would start (classic). Thinking it was my battery I got a jump and it started right up. I got a new battery right away and it was working fine for awhile, but then about a month after that it did the same thing, so I got another jump then I drove about 10 miles and while I was driving up the parking garage my car shut off on me. I let it sit for a few hours then came back and it crunk right up. I immediately went to get the battery tested (auto zone and pep boys) all power systems checked out (battery, altenator, and starter). I drove it home, disconnected the negative battey terminal, then reconnected it. The car crunk right up and was working fine for a month or so then the problem came back again. This time I noticed that the voltmeter wildly fluctuating so I cut off the A/C. When I got home I let the car idle and blasted the a/c, then I reved up the engine and when I let off the pedal the rmp dipped below 1, the engine sputter alittle bit and then the voltmeter swung violently below the half mark. I did this a couple of more times and it finally cut off. Any thoughts??? Thanks for your input...

bossier62guy · August 27, 2009

I have been having an electrical problem with my 2003 Chevy Avalanche. About a month ago my I woke up one morning and my car would start (classic). Thinking it was my battery I got a jump and it started right up. I got a new battery right away and it was working fine for awhile, but then about a month after that it did the same thing, so I got another jump then I drove about 10 miles and while I was driving up the parking garage my car shut off on me. I let it sit for a few hours then came back and it crunk right up. I immediately went to get the battery tested (auto zone and pep boys) all power systems checked out (battery, altenator, and starter). I drove it home, disconnected the negative battey terminal, then reconnected it. The car crunk right up and was working fine for a month or so then the problem came back again. This time I noticed that the voltmeter wildly fluctuating so I cut off the A/C. When I got home I let the car idle and blasted the a/c, then I reved up the engine and when I let off the pedal the rmp dipped below 1, the engine sputter alittle bit and then the voltmeter swung violently below the half mark. I did this a couple of more times and it finally cut off. Any thoughts??? Thanks for your input...

Check the positive battery cable at the battery for signs of "internal" corrosion.....crunk? I don't think that's a real word

bill190 · August 27, 2009

You can get a cell phone, install a battery, and it will work then die because the battery runs down. Then you can buy another battery, then it will work for awhile, then that battery will die too. Etc.

Or you can get a cell phone, get a battery, use it until the battery runs down, then recharge the battery, then use it again. And keep using the same battery, but recharge it every day.

Same thing with a car. If the battery is running down, there is a problem with the "battery charger". This is the alternator.

An alternator can stop working when it is running fast, or when it is hot from heat from outside and the engine.

So did the auto parts store run the alternator fast when "testing" it?

Did they place it in an oven to heat it up when "testing" it?

If they did not, then they are not simulating the same conditions in which the alternator is being used! Not a very good test.

How to test this yourself...

Check the battery voltage with a multimeter.

The battery should read 12 something volts with just the ignition on (not started).

Then start it and it should then read 13/14 volts at the battery. This is the alternator kicking in and charging the battery.

Then if you have a voltmeter on your dash, it should continue to read 13/14 volts as the engine is running and you are driving.

If it suddenly dips, then I would suspect a bad alternator. Also there could be problems with poor/loose connections associated with the alternator or battery.

You can also charge your vehicle battery just like you do for a cell phone. They sell battery chargers at automotive stores. And your vehicle will run on a charged battery for awhile before the battery runs down. So if this is a difficult problem to solve, you can get a battery charger and recharge your battery every night.