'01 Charging problems

I have a '01 Corolla and the battery died so I replaced it being it was five yrs old anyway. It then died again so I looked at the alt an the plug looked corroded (white fuzzy goo) like you get on battery terminals. I cleaned the plug contacts and the alt with a toothpick and a wire brush and the battery died again. I then bought a remanfactured alt and a serp belt. I took digital photos of the belt path prior to replacing it, only to find out that the photos were not that clear but it seems to be on the only way it fits with nothing loose and everything seems to be spinning in the right dirrection. The battery died again after two days or so. I am thinking that either the belt is on wrong (which I dought), the tensioner is blown or there is a short somewhere. Uggh!

Thanks,
Cliff

you also (which is very frustrating) might have gotten a bad alternator. My suggestion to you, is to take it up to your local parts store, and have them run a battery alternator test on it for you. (most parts stores will do so for free.) I have a 91 Corolla, and my plug was shot. (atm my alternator is hooked up with little metal plugs on then end of my three wires plugged individually onto the alternator.) I was able to get another plug from a salvage yard to attach to it, but I was still loosing power which turned out to be the connection on my positive battery terminal. A word of advice on buying the rebuilt alternators...make them check them for you at the parts store before you leave with it to see how much it is putting out. A few years ago, I went through 5 rebuilt alternators before I got one that worked right. The same thing happened with my husband's car when we went for a new alternator on it. We learned to have them test it to see how much it was putting out before we ever left the stores with them. (save us swapping out the alternator repeatedly.) On my 91 Corolla Sedan, on the bench test it should be putting out between I believe it is 14-17 without a load on it. if it goes over 17 for my car, off the bench, that's too much. If it doesn't put out at LEAST 13.5-14, that's not enough.

Other than that, double check your plug, and see if the connections in there are bent down or not, and make sure they are making good connection.

Good luck with it.