I have a 98 Taurus with 89k on it. My battery light comes on when I am accelerating. My lights dim and my blower motor slows. Once I get up to speed and the rpm's drop back the lights may come back to normal, but not always. Sometimes I have to slow down for the lights to come back up. What could cause this? I've checked the serpentine belt and alternator. They seem fine.
That sounds like what happened when my alternator was going bad, have you checked the voltage it is putting out?
"They seem fine." I think he means they were still there. The belt was black. The alternator was silver and not rusty looking. That should work, right? He kind of suspects the alternator, but that would cost lots more than cleaning a cable or something. Sorry Dave, the next step is to check the charging circuit with a meter on you way out to the parts store or repair shop.
Take your alternator someplace they will test it. Have the battery checked too. When you buy a new alternator, don't get the cheapest thing Autozone has. I bought two with one year guarantees. First one lasted 14 months, second lasted 13. They are GUARANTEED to die with your wife and kids in the car, when you are not around.
Chedk the tensioner too... actually put a bar on it and work it to be sure it's taking in the slacl it's supposed to.
Rob
and alternator.
Um, yeah. Seem fine? Milk from last July in the fridge is still white, too. Knock yourself out. Go to your friendly car parts store and see if they'll check the alternator. I'll betcha a cuppa fivebux coffee that it's on its way out.
Happy alternator swapping!
Actually it is always a good idea to check for dirty cables first. They are cheap and can cause problems with charging for sure.
Thanks to everyone for the advise. I did replace the alternator and it seems to have fixed the problem.
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