96 talon: battery/ light problems

i think i have some light problems in the car, if im not pushing the gas pedal, then my interior lights go dim, as soon as i hit the gas pedal, the lights are VERY bright. Even as soon as i stop behind a red light, starts going dim, when i start moving, it gets bright. Also, if i have the Heat, stereo, and the lights on, again the light warning comes up, and they go dim.. Also, my car takes 2 secs to start, not fast as always. Usually starts instantly.

I looked at my battery i could see lots of blue/yellow powders (residue) around the ( - ) terminal, i cleaned it, but 2 days later, the same.

I know i have to replace the battery, but my question is, is the altinator also screwed? (Was changed about 2 month ago).

Any suggestions are welcomed. Thanks

Either the corrosion on the battery is causing a lot of interference of electrical current or the battery is too old to hold a charge. One method I always used to check the alternator though was to remove the positive terminal from the battery while the car is running. Most manuals would not recommend this since it may cause voltage spikes but I never had any problem with it on any of my cars. If you are going to do this though, as soon as you take off the terminal, you should notice an increase in idle since the battery is no longer putting a load on the alternator. If the car cuts off when you remove the terminal, there are two possible problems. The alternator isnt charging because maybe the belt came off or it is faulty. Before you go out to buy another $149 alternator though, check the fuse. It is probably an 80amp fuse but it should list it on the top of the main fuse box. If that is blown it's only about $2 at any auto store. It is unlikely that the alternator relay has stopped working and that should only be a last resort especially since they are about $30 but you can always check it first. Again it really only seems to be the battery since the lights get brighter when you hit the gas, the alternator seems to be producing the extra power the battery is lacking.

oo, nice nice, thanks, i will check this 2moro morning, i will keep this updated, thanks