This morning my headlamps were dim and the radio worked intermittently so I dropped off the car at the repair shop. They replaced the alternator under warranty (1 year old or so).
I picked up the car after they closed and it ran fine going him but 1 mile or so down the road the Brake warning light AND the Charging or Electrical system light both came on. I tried turning off the engine and restarting and the lights stay lit now.
Would this still be a problem in the charging system with both lamps lit? What are the likely causes?
You called that one pretty well! Turns out the "new" alternator was dead. It was a rebuild alternator as it was replaced under warranty and I am told new ones are not available and are very expensive. I couldn't remember what the symptoms were the last time the alternator died about a year ago.
Here's the full story on this car's electrical system:
19 May 1997: 52,191 miles - purchased vehicle, alternator was original equipment
28 Aug 1999: 111,620 miles - replaced battery (6 year warranty)
19 Oct 2002: 183,400 miles - alternator replaced, $196 parts + labor. First time alternator replaced.
3 Jun 2003: 197,614 miles - alternator went bad was replaced under warranty - no charge for part or labor. Replaced belts also and replaced battery (just in case) got pro-rated credit for 26 months life left on battery warranty.
28 Aug 2003: 202,566 miles - alternator went bad replaced - no charge for parts or labor
29 Sept 2004: 226,839 miles - alternator went bad replaced - no charge for parts or labor
30 Sept 2004: 226,841 miles - alternator went bad replaced - no charge for parts or labor
So, this car is now on it's 5th alternator counting this one and yesterday's! :-)
I'm not complaining because except for the time involved it does not cost me anything. The repair shop is the best repair shop I have ever worked with. We have 4 cars in the family and have all our work done there. They probably hate to see me pull up though.
I got to wondering about the economics of driving the car anymore. If I total up all the costs I have spent on this vehicle, including purchase (entire principal and interest), all the fuel, preventive maintenance, repair maintenance (but excluding insurance only) I have spent $20,573.67 for the 174,650 miles I have driven it. That's about 11.7 cents per mile. I have a computer program where I have log all the costs. I have tracked every dime spent on the car including tires, replacement hubcaps, etc. - the works. The car has averaged 34.5 MPG in the 7+ years I have driven it. Every day I have a 80 mile round trip commute.
I am looking to buy a new one (or slightly used) but I plan to keep running this one until the repair costs really do get expensive or the reliability becomes a serious problem. Yesterday was only the 2nd time that I missed some work due to an unexpected breakdown.
I would be interested to hear of anyone else's experience with their Nissan.
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