Replace an alternator ?

[ddg5006]

Hello automotive forum,

I was recently driving long distance on the highway when all the electrical devices plugged into my cigarette lighter started to freak out, I looked at the battery meter and the needle for the battery was close to the bottom, I pulled off the highway and left the car running for fear i would never get it back on, eventually and very slowly every electrical device in my car began to fail, and turning on and off the headlights would make the car do very strange things such as kill my odometer gauge and make the center console turn off. I was thinking it was an alternator issue but then again I am a novice when it comes to cars. I would wondering if anyone here would be willing to lend their expert opinion on the matter as I was going to attempt to replace it myself, but did not want to try and that wasn't the problem. If it is indeed the problem like I suspected, maybe some instructions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help.

[Airjer_]

Sounds like the alternator is not charging to me!

[john3081]

yeah sounds like the alternator, id check the battery connection and alternator belt and charge the battery, before getting a new one though

[Davescort97]

Before you pull it check all the wiring connections to the back of the alternator. From the way you describe it something is loose.

[shorod]

Do you have a multimeter and know how to use it? If not, many of the auto parts stores can test the alternator and charging system if you can get the car there. If you can't safely get the car there, then you can take the alternator off and to the store and they can bench test it.

-Rod

[nub]

I'd check the connections as suggested. Sometimes a loose cable/connection could be keeping the car from getting enough power.

A way to test the alternator is to start the car and unplug your battery. Then turn on the radio, lights, and see what happens.

What kind of electrical devices are you plugging into the car lighter socket? Maybe that's placing a lot of stress on the alternator also.

[shorod]

Originally Posted by nub

A way to test the alternator is to start the car and unplug your battery. Then turn on the radio, lights, and see what happens.

That test was done a lot many years ago, but is not a wise test for a modern vehicle. The alternator actually produces an Alternating Current (AC) signal which is rectified then filtered by the battery. The rectified AC by itself is quite noisy, and this noise can wreak havoc on the computers in the modern car's electrical systems.

-Rod