97 saturn wierd problem, please help!!

soo my sister has a 97 saturn sl2 with the 1.9 DOHC engine in it. recently the car would not start one night so we jumped it and it started and she drove it home. but on her way home after about 10 minutes it started acting wierd and woulndnt want to go and her lights and stuff got dimm. i thought it was the battery so i put a new battery in it and it did nuthing. so then i took out the alternator and took it in to have it tested at auto zone and they said it was fine. well i charged up the new battery ( it wasnt brand new but was bought last summer and should be good). the car started and rac fine for a few days.

well now it does a bunch of wierd stuff like the speedometer stopped working, the radio wouldnt shut off, the lights got reall dim and her brake lights dont work. also when she takes off it doenst want to go at all. it;s really wierd and i dont understand it. there has to be sum sort of short sumwhere but where who knows. im hoping its not a short because those are night mares.

anyone have any ideas!?!?!? thank you travis

sounds like the battery is not charging(has the battery light come on?)
three causes:
1. alternator is shot(i don't care what autozone says)
2. slipping belt
3. bad wiring to the alternator

it may be a short or a bad ground, but i would focus on the charging system frist(have a multimeter?)

sounds like the battery is not charging(has the battery light come on?)
three causes:
1. alternator is shot(i don't care what autozone says)
2. slipping belt
3. bad wiring to the alternator

it may be a short or a bad ground, but i would focus on the charging system frist(have a multimeter?)

I definetly agree. has to be the alternator or something in conjunction to the alternator. make sure your battery cables are not corrided.. if so use Coke Cola to clean.

well i replaced the alternator ... the car worked perfect for about 3 days.
well today the same thing that happened before started happening today... wierd

it has to be something with the alternator wiring what do you guys think?

also i will mention that her serpintene belt is slightly worn...120,000 miles on the car...and of course it squeeks, so i did put some belt dressing on it but that doesnt work as i figured it wouldnt but i dont think that has any thing to with her problem.

thanks for any help travis

well i replaced the alternator ... the car worked perfect for about 3 days.
well today the same thing that happened before started happening today... wierd

it has to be something with the alternator wiring what do you guys think?

also i will mention that her serpintene belt is slightly worn...120,000 miles on the car...and of course it squeeks, so i did put some belt dressing on it but that doesnt work as i figured it wouldnt but i dont think that has any thing to with her problem.

thanks for any help travis

if the surpintene belt is slipping then that means it is stretched.. which also means it is not spinning the alternator like it should.. that is why your battery keeps dying. replace the belt first and recharge the battery and see if that does not help. if it continues to die then it could be the alternator wires that need to be replaced.

heres another thing...when she jumps it it runs ... then as soon as u move the steering wheel it stalls or when you turn the light on.. even more wierd.

maybe that has to do with the serpintine belt being stretched too?

thanks travis

belt dressing is nasty stuff :p

a noise doesn't always mean the belt is sliping, a bearing on one of the pulleys may be worn

if the belt is slipping then:
-the belt may be streched
-the tensenior may be shot
-the belt has low friction(wet, polished, ect)

have that "new" battery of yours tested

inspect the battery cables and termials, take a good look at the positive terminal. if any acid/corrosion is found, clean with a water/ baking soda mixture.

there is little advise i have remaining that does not involve some special tools or at least a multimeter

I had similar problems in my 97 sl1. Check this: 6-8 months ago battery blows up, replace it. Not long after the starter goes, fix it. 2 months ago, car dies- i mean completely no juice(however, i could drive all night long and lose any lights or anything). 1 more starter, 1 more battery, 4.5 hours at the Saturn dealership,nearly $500 (between 1st batt. and now), and lots of skinned knuckles later, the car ran great. When all was said and done i came to the conclusion that bad battery causes bad starter which recauses bad battery. My buddy from the dealership agrees.
Just thought maybe your luck is like mine. NOBODY has the same problem
P.S.I forgot my most recent $45 for a top front motor mount. Well worth it in a car made of tupperware and tinfoil (cured all engine vibration)
HOPE IT HELPS

I think in either case he should have the belt replaced.. especially if it has over 120K on it and is having problems in general. But you are right, it could be the pulley or the ternsioner.

Deisel, what seems to be happening by your description is that the alternator is not give the battery a full charge, most accessories will run off the battery even when the engine is on, like your radio, DVD player, your cig lighters, even your headlights. The alternator provides the electrical current to the engine after it is running. Since the alternator is not charging the battery it may not be providing enough electrical current to the engine. When you turn on the headlights (draws power from battery) it kills the battery, since the alternator is not providing enough charge to the engine it relies on the battery, once the battery dies, the car dies. as far as your power steering that is ran by the power of the surpentine belt. if the belt is slipping for whatever reason, it will put more load on the engine and could cause it to stall. I beleive that is why you engine dies when you turn the wheel.

Hope this makes since.

sounds like a case of a belt tensioner going bad. id replace the tensioner, being its a 97 and those miles.

the spring on the stock tensioner isnt all that great and its housed inside a plastic housing. i got a replacement one and its all aluminum. although if you do get a replacement and it comes with a plastic pulley, swap that pulley with the stock metal one unless the bearings in the stock one seem bad. plastic pulleys are CRAP!