Possible Alternator Crapping Out?

CapitalTruck · March 6, 2009

If I am driving and have the blower on and headlights on and blip the gas then go to brake, it seems like the alternator doesn't "adjust" fast enough. The lights dim and the blower slows down (the idle also seems to drop). This happens for about 1 second or less. You think this is alternator?

Zembonez · March 6, 2009

Sounds like a bad ground cable to me. Check the engine block and body grounds to make sure they are good. Doesn't sound like an alternator going to me.

bill190 · March 6, 2009

The battery should always have enough power to power these things no matter what the engine speed.

So try recharging your battery and see if the problem goes away and also clean the battery terminals.

Then if charging the battery makes the problem go away and it takes a long time to charge the battery, then why is the battery not being charged? I would suspect the alternator first.

Or has any new electrical device been recently added which is draining the battery?

Does this happen when stopping briefly after driving long distances (and the battery would have had a chance to recharge)? Or only after sitting overnight or longer and something would have drained the battery?

DofD · March 6, 2009

I've had similar when my battery was going bad. I'd test the battery, alternator, and grounds.

WTF · March 6, 2009

do a load test to your battery. if thats not it, its a bad ground somewhere. first check the battery ground then check the engine ground then the frame mounted grounds then the body mounted> it should be this simple, but i would put money that its a bad battery.