Help PLEASE! Car Wont CHarge Pontiac TRans AM 86'

[Josie]

....okey well i have a pontiac firebird trans am 1986 that wont start up. I was driving my car last night and on the way to where i was driving my car was dying! You would think my car would charge up when i drive and not die instead. So we tried to jump it and the battery wasnt getting charged. Ive allready changed the altanator over summer and battery is about almost one year in april. I dont know why my car wouldnt even charge up though ... anyone know why or suggestions??
Please help me, thanks!

[FormulaLT1]

Well either you have a short or you bought a defective battery. Good luck

John

[CreepingDeath94]

It is possible that alternator took a dump early...was it a remanufactured alternator? Also, what do the fan blades on it look like? Are they the metal bladed ones or the round plastic type? The plastic type are junk and I could see that dying in less than a year.

[Philo]

Check for clean battery connections and the ground for the battery (connection to frame) for corrosion.

Here is a story you may not believe. A woman I do repair work for (not automobile), asked me to check her car because the turn signals and four way flashers were not working. Everything else was OK. Right away, I started looking for the flasher unit. It was a Chrysler, and they have a special flasher unit (not at all like GM), but that was not the problem. With no other changes, but working on the connections for about three hours, I finally cleaned the battery terminals (it used the old style top mount post connections), and that was it. They immediately started working and have worked ever since. Later, I talked to a mechanic, and he said it happens quite a bit on Chryslers. Odd, Odd, Odd.

[Gunstar1]

Pull the alternator and take it to you local car parts place (NAPA, Autozone,etc) and have them test it.

I had a 1986 T/A and one day I noticed that the volts gauge said only 11 volts. I yanked the alternator and took it apart. The diode and blown. It was cracked, and there were little metal beads all over the place inside the housing. A rebuild kit (new diode, condenser, and brushes) cost $15.00.

I was surprised that a blown diode could still charge at 11 volts at all.

In 1986, they're still easily rebuildable.

[Josie]

..so listen up what happened yesterday , AAA came to jump my car it took like 1 minute with them ha cuz they have amazing jump starters, so they checked my battery and they said it was completly dead and they said my altanator was fine. So from there i went to the sears in the mall (which is like 5 minutes away from where my car was dead at) so my gage?(spelling?) said it was 8 so im driving to sears i stall out 2 times ha the first time on a u-turn to the mall (highly traffic) ha next time at a light (one lane leftturn) the first time my friend was in front of me and he jumped me 2nd time police came behind us put his lights on so people would stay clear and he jumped me again... man my car had absolutly NO POWEr.. i was pushing gas and i was going soo slow.. but yea so neways i took it to sears got a new battery (as they say it is) and i went driving around my meter still wasnt going up to 13 where it should be.
SO i went back told them to check my altanator they said my altanator is low to.. battery and altanator were at 11 and a lil lower or lil higher. So i probably have a defected altanator.. actually im checking that for definite today with a volt meter by putting the volt meter to my battery and pushing gas and if it goes up its not my altanator and if it doesnt go up its my altanator (pretty simple test) Good thing i have life time warranty on my altanator , so we had put the new altanator in last time so we got to do it this time .. hoepfully everything will work out!

[Josie]

.. for your answers to your questions.. it was a brand new altanator that has metal blades, might i add its probably one of the best ones cost me $100.. so im amazed that its the altanator b/c it was such good quality!... also im going to check my battery connections and to clean them, im sure that would always help. Ha hopefully that new battery i just got yesterday inst a defective battery.. (ha i got the defective altanator and battery GEeze!) what luck i have...... thank you everyone for all your help! (Formula LT1, Creepingdeath94, Philo, Gunstar1) i appreciate it ! if any more suggestions that would be great!