97 intrepid electrical issue?

[CharleenO707]

I have a 1997 Dodge Intrepid automatic v6. My battery light is lightup on the dash board so I figuered my battery was dying due to loss of power in the vehicle, or the alternator going out. I took off the negative wire to the battery and the car continued to run, as Ive been told that by doing this, if the car dies then the alternator is bad. I checked the battery and it reads 14 volts, so I believe the battery is good? I do have a sound system in the car and have a 1500 watt amp connected, the previous owners also had a stereo system and however they rigged there's was totaly a mess as the wires were all, just a mess. As of today, the car has died, and when we jumped it it did start up, but was not able to keep power, the dash lights would not come on, basically anything that had to do with electric stuff was not working? Any suggestions as to what might be the problem? I did just get a tune up and oil change, new spark plugs and wires, and also it has been over heating.....

[82Stang]

I'd start by removing both battery cables and cleaning the end contacts thoroughly. Then after rehooked, check the alternator for output, if you have a voltmeter. It should read anywhere from 13.5 volts to 14.5 volts when running. Unhooking the neg cable will let you know the alternator is putting out, but it won't let you know how much the alternator is putting out. You really need to know exactly what it is producing. So don't discount the alternator just yet. Another possible thing to check would be the battery cables going down underneath, making sure they are whole and connected well, especially if the engine has gotten hot and might've burned a wire somewhere. In my experience when the battery light is lit up on the dash, it is either the battery, the alternator or the wiring. Good luck.