1991 electrical problems, SOS

Thats right, SOS... My 1991 caprice classic battery light came on yesterday, and this morning on the way to work the abs brake light, also the airbag light came on. A few days ago I started hearing a noise and the engine smelled of something burning. So i almost lost power on my way to work in the middle of the road, ya and of course there was a car coming so I'm awake now. (scared the crap out of me.) I get off in 8 hours and was hoping to try and narrow my options down. My guess is that the alternator is bad. Has this happened to anyone before? The belt is still good, its still there. Please help.... Thanks Brandon

I just put it on a charger to charge the battery, so if the car starts and I unhook the battery it should keep running if the alternater is working properly right, then it would be my battery? If it stops then my alternater is bad. Right?

I think that your alternator might have seized up with a bad bearing, hence the noise and smoke. The test you mentioned works, I tend not to use it on newer cars though. Some do not do well with the battery being disconnected while running.

So look at the alternator first, if it starts and the pulley is not turning, you'll only burn up the belt.

Bob

I will check that as soon as it has enough juice to turn over. Could it be possible for the alternater to keep turning even though it has seized up inside? The smell didnt really smell like eletrical smell, but maybe its the smell of the belt, or the alternator frying..


update: I just went out and the car and it turned over so it looks like the battery is taking a charge. My alternator wheel was turning so that part isnt froze up. I guess i can charge the battery all day then take it to a parts store and have them hook it up to check the alternator. Also when i got this car from my grandma she said the battery slowly died. Anyone know where it could be draining slowly?

It could be partially seized up still. Something had to be burning if you smelled it. The belt will have a glazed and or melted look to it, the pulley might be discolored if it got that hot. If you can loosen the belt (was the belt loose to start with?), see how freely it spins. It should feel smooth and turn freely.

Your smell might have come from an overcharging battery which will ultimately shorten the life of the battery. It would have been a heavy sulphur smell. If you can check the water inside the battery, don't put your face over it when you pop the caps off.

To play it safe, if you have no idea how old the battery is, replace it. Old batteries don't hold a charge very well. But get a complete VAT test (volt, amperage test) on your charging system. If you have a parasitic drain somewhere else, this won't pick it up. But there are homegrown checks for that too, keep us posted.

Bob

For a quick check to find out if the alternator is charging, touch the spinning shaft (i.e. with the engine running), on the back of the alternator, lightly with a screw driver. If the shaft is magnetic, the alternator is charging.

Thanks for all the info, thats one i havent heard off about the magnetic charge, but does make sense. I have the car fixed now. The battery was toast, as well as the Alternator. I bought a new battery first to try that, but the battery light still stayed on. Drove down to auto zone, and tested it. No recharge at all, new battery only had about 30% life left. Change alternator in parking lot, guy working at store said i should take it home and do it because it would be too hard, and long. I wanted to prove him wrong (since ive been working on cars with my dad since i was a kid, which i didnt mention) the guy couldnt believe how fast i changed it. Felt good to proove the so called expert guy wrong. Thanks for all you help once again..... Brandon