Battery or alternator?

[NinaWeena]

Please impart your knowledge unto me. I have a 2001 SL2 with less then 40k on it. Monday morning (chilly morning) I turn on my car, it starts for about a half second then just dies. So I try again and nothing happens, no lights on the dash but the over head light works. I check my head lights radio and everything to make sure they were all off in the first place and they were.

After work a friend jumps my car, it works long enough (switching gears and everything) to go around the block a few times. But now everytime I have tried to jump it, the car dies when moving from Park into Drive.

Some say it's the battery, others say it's the alternator, I say I don;t know! I wish I knew, I wish I was car-savy but I am not. Please help me. I left the car with the mechanic and I really don't want him to think he can just charge me 500 bucks for a new alternator because I am a chick.

So if it is indeed the alternator as they say, what questions should I ask the mechanic to verify this. What things should I look for when talking with mechanic. Any help you are able to offer is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Alanna]

If it starts and dies its the alternator as opposed to the battery. The battery only starts the car its up to the alternator after that. It shouldn't be a $500 job. I'm in RI and the estimate was around $150-$200, depended on if you get a new one or rebuilt. However it seems unusual that the altenator would go on a 2001. I am only talking from experience in owning older model cars (I have a 95 sl2), but I know for sure that given the choice between battery and alternator and the info you gave, it would be the alternator.

[streetracr32]

it could be a very run down battery. was the car in hot weather for a long period of time???

[sierrap615]

Originally Posted by Alanna

If it starts and dies its the alternator as opposed to the battery.

now just a second, you say it dies when shifting in to drive? have you ever gotten in to drive? will it stall without shifting? do you need to jump it everytime? try this - start it, keep it in park, turn lights, radio, a/c, everything on. let it idle 20-30 minutes. if it dies - alty, if not - batt.

heres my reasoning, summer 2003 i was working on a 89 mercury.three years before the alty died, its was sitting in the yard ever since. i replaced the alty. the alts for this model aren't very strong i think 70/80 amps. 90% of the time, a car will work off the alty just fine, but when a sudden heavy load comes the battery comes in to play until the alty catchs up. at first i replaced the alty but not the battery. when i shifted, the alty couldn't handle the load itself and stalled, but after i replaced the battery it worked as well as a 89 mercury could.

just my

[WildsideCreations]

Anyone thought of jsut running down the local Autozone or Checkers or Pepboys or (insert name here) place and have them come out with the big cool testing machine? You know, I am a good mech but sometimes you just don't want to tear into it. They can tell you by checking for free what it is.

[malcolm brumley]

I have worked on cars many years but recently had a similarly thing happen. The root cause was battery cable bolts that were not torqued. They seemed tight to me but the Saturn shop torqued them and problem solved. You are never too old to learn.

[BRARUN]

look this one is easy
1 crank car
2 turn radio on or lights
3 un hook battery while running and lights on
4 if car does not die then it is = neither = fuse
5 if it does then it = alternator

[sierrap615]

can autozone check the alterator while its still mounted? its not exacly in a easy spot

[WildsideCreations]

no. But.... They CAN test the battery fully. They can tell you if the battery is good or not and if it is good then the alt is deffintly bad. Proccess of deduction.

[streetracr32]

yeah, but it shud still cost u $$

[slammed4door]

autozone can check the alternator thats how i found out what was bad on my car. they can check it while it is mounted on the car

[sickcallawayc12]

Sounds like an alternator problem to me, although it seems unusual for it to go out at 40k. Make sure to check the belts and make sure they are tight. Have the battery tested and check the fuses under the hood and on the side of the center console. Another possibility (although unlikely if you were able to drive the car) is the fuel pump may have gone bad; that also would create a similar scenario.

[bobenhotep]

check it with a multimeter. a bad alternator will destroy a battery, and a bad battery will wear out an alternator.sounds like your battery wont hold charge, and your alternator isnt working. when you charge up a battery and drive with a inop alternator, it will do fine, then the car will die after a bit. at night it will manifest as your lights getting dimmer as the battery draews down . if you do this too much(run the battery dead ), it will kill the battery, which usually ends up not holding a charge.my answer is Battery or alternator-both!

[bobenhotep]

make sure connections are clean...