Another car question

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thewishman

thewishman

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Joined
Mar 9, 2006
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8,254
Location
Reynoldsburg, Ohio, USA.
Replaced the alternator in my car, this morning (got the rebuilt one from the parts store.). The battery light stayed on and the battery died less than a mile away. Jumped the car and got it to the auto parts store. The battery was bad, so I got a new one.

The problem is, the alternator is not charging the battery - the battery light stays on.

It's a 2005 Chevy Classic, 4 cylinder.

New battery, new alternator and the battery does not charge. The connector from the battery is solidly attached and the plug that goes into the alternator is solid. What could I be missing? The area around the alternator dose smell electrical hot and it's noisy.
 
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Its possible the alt didnt work right from the start. It could be you shorted it out replacing it although that is usually difficult to do. Hooking it up to a shorted battery might have fried it though.
 
not sure about what car parts stores are in your area. Ours you can take the alt. in and they will mount and check it for you right there.
 
Alternator & battery issues can sometimes be difficult to figure out which one is to blame. I've had issues with alternators from the Larry-Curly-Moe brothers so I don't buy from them anymore.

Probably best to take the parts into a store who will bench them (often for free) to eliminate buying extra parts.
 
I agree with the possibility of getting bad rebuilt parts. I once went through 3 bad rebuilt brake master cylinders before I went with a new one from a different retailer.
 
The battery didn't short, just had a bad cell and wouldn't hold a charge. We'll take the alternator out and have it tested. It has a lifetime warranty, one benefit of spending $150 on the new one (with a coupon) rather than the $31 from the junkyard. Though at this point, a junkyard may have been better.

It's all from Advance Auto Parts. We'll check the wires and pulleys when we take it apart again.
 
Basic questions. Did you replace the alternator first and then the battery or vice-versa. Is the correct wire on the battery terminals. if reversed you could have fried the diodes in the alternator. Is the belt slipping on the alternator. It is always wise to have those bench tested before buying new. Was the right one installed??? I have had brand new batteries not be good too.
 
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