Hi, I have a '99 Z24.

A few weeks ago, the battery light came on and as time went on during the same day on my way to work, the entire dash lit up with idiot lights and the headlight chime started chiming every time the blinker would blink.

I pinned it on the Alternator and bought a new alternator. Installed the new alternator in my work parking lot and got it running. Played the car swap game to get the second car home, and all the lights came on again.

This time the car totally died. Took a ride to buy a new battery and installed, car started, but wouldn't stay charged. Battery light came on again, and would go off at 3,500 RPMs or above. Got the car to where it sits now, and removed the alternator again. Had it tested and it was bad.

THIRD alternator is IN the car now. New battery is hooked up. Car ran for about 10 minutes, with no problems. However, things were still unbolted under the hood. I shut the car off, re bolted everything and now the damn car won't start at all. All lights come on, but the car won't turn over. I'm going back soon, to be sure terminals are tight/ making connection, and that the starter was unaffected during all the work.

Could it still be the alternator/battery? I'm at my wits end with this car. It looks GREAT, but it's "simple" things like this that go wrong with no apparent reason that totally turn me off from the car. Any and ALL help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks Guys!


You Must Be Fast, 'Cuz I Was Haulin' Ass When I passed You!!!
1999 Cavalier Z24 w/ Toyota Cavalier tail lights.
1988 Buick LeSabre T-Type
1983 Buick Regal T-Type

find out what the OHM readings are suppose to be for things like crank sensor and such like that that all deal with the car starting i had a 93 lincoln mark viii that had a bad crank sensor it wouldnt let the car start but tap on it with a wrench and it fired right off so just start checking all things that deal with the car starting im sure someone here will have more of an idea then i do about what all sensors deal with it starting and for the charging issues ied make sure all wires are taught not frayed or worn i once had a bad alternator problem i thought but replaced the wire between battery and alte. and it worked fine till i sold it

Discard any information here if you know it already.

You said:-

[Could it still be the alternator/battery?]

Well, yes it could--but my guess would be a bad connection-connections have to be "shiny" clean and correctly torqued i.e. tight.

Even if the connection is correctly tightened it must be clean for electricity to pass through the joint.

The more electrical CURRENT passing through the connection the cleaner it has to be---the greatest current draw in a car is the starter (Excluding amplifiers).





Your car has a Powertrain Control Module to control the Alternator regulator

See if this link helps:-.

http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=11&i=121772&t=121772

I would adopt the following procedure:-

1. Disconnect the Battery Positive and Negative terminals--check/clean so they are "shiny" clean ready for reconnection.

2. Check the Fusible link in the Large gauge RED cable from the Alternator to the Battery (This is probably located at the Starter solenoid "Junction"

3. Disconnect the Negative Battery Ground cable at the Block and chassis connection points--(although I've never seen one it's under the Battery tray in some models.)--"shiny" clean the cable end and the Ground connection points.

4. The Alternator feeds a signal out of the F terminal of the Alternator plug/skt to terminal 53 on the Powertrain Control Module(PCM) and receives a signal back from the PCM terminal 74 to the L terminal on th Alternator plug.
Check these cables and connections.

5. Reconnect everything and try again.



If all is correct the Alternator will charge the battery through the B+ (Large) connector on the Alternator, through the large gauge RED cable /Fusible link/Starter solenoid junction/cable to Battery +ve.

If all the above fails to solve the problem you may need to take it to a shop with the correct diagnostic equipment for these more modern and more complicated systems.---you can guess mine are 93’s!


Hope it helps


Alont

Wow thanks, Alont and Joe Weber!

I looked into a few things and this is what I found:

Negative cable was corroded at the battery and also at the half-way point where it opens up and connects to the battery pan. I used a tooth-brush sized wire brush and a solution of baking soda and water and cleaned the corrosion away. Cleaned the positive terminal as well.

I found the fuseable link you spoke of in the alternator/ starter cable, while checking it for corrosion. Wire was clean.

Next I checked for continuity in the cables and found all wires are good.

The only thing I did find to be a problem was the positive terminal bolt seems to be too short. There are only something like 2 threads on the bolt, which doesn't seem to me to be long enough to tighten the bolt with. So I'm going to look into replacing it with a longer bolt.

Thanks alot for all the information you've supplied me with. I'll be sure to keep you posted on how it turns out.

Of the three cars I own, this one seems to be the hardest to diagnose and most difficult to work on. I have 2 Buicks that are WAY easier to work on! Thanks again!

"Donny Lowrida"



You Must Be Fast, 'Cuz I Was Haulin' Ass When I passed You!!!
1999 Cavalier Z24 w/ Toyota Cavalier tail lights.
1988 Buick LeSabre T-Type
1983 Buick Regal T-Type