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Help! Charging System Problems /w 99 Sunfire

99 Sunfire GT with 56,000 miles

Hi all, I've been having some trouble with my 'new' used car and no one has a clue what's going on. I see a lot of intelligent replies here so maybe you can help me.

I bought the car in April 2003 and it ran fine for the first two months while it was covered by the dealer's warranty (AC problems but that isn't relevant to this). Then on June 9th (Actually that is in the first 2 months! Ahhhhh! I should have taken it to the dealer!) anyways, June 9th I took the car into Sears cause I noticed the battery light was on while idling in the parking lot. I took it to them and they said it was the battery, they replaced it and it held for a month or so. On July 16th I had the dealer replace the alternator after it tested weak. Well the first one made a horrible high pitched sound so they put in another. That one burned out right away, the dealer figured the place he bought it from was selling bad parts so he ordered one from GM. That one burnt out as I pulled out of the parking lot after he test drove it for about 20 miles. So he got another one and put it in and this one held... for a while. I don't have any more records of repairs because I wasn't charged for any of it and it was done at another shop the dealer sent it to. Anyways probably around August 15th this alternator died and I had to drive the car back 15 miles with no battery. The brake lights didn't even work, I'm lucky it was running when it died. Anyways they sent it to another shop in their chain of dealerships, this one specialized in GM cars as opposed to Hondas. So they updated the computer and replaced the alternator and I had it back for about another month before the battery light came on again. I took it in and they sent it to the GM dealer again. They said the computer is screwed up again so they hooked the car to a computer and drove it around for an hour. They finally got the battery light to come on (it started out as an infrequent event that increased in frequency until the alternator finally died). So they determined that the ignition is corroded and replaced that. This was October

1st. The report said "Tech found L terminal of generator not switching. Tech replaced PCM under GM warranty." "Starter terminals shorted in solenoid due to corrosion. Tech replaced started good at this time."

So anyways that lasted another month, it is now November 6th and last night my battery light came on again, this time it was solid. I decided to just drive home and deal with it the next day since it was too late to take it to the shop. By the time I made it home the check engine light was on. Now the Battery Light and Check Engine Light are on steady. I don't drive it but I've started it a couple of times in the hope that is will just work some how. I have an appointment today in a few hours to take it in and maybe the check engine light will help them analyze the situation and I will post any useful results here. Any help, speculations; anything would be VERY welcome. I just got this car 7 months ago, I shouldn't be dealing with this much frustration and $800 in bills already! Thanks for the help.

Reply to
tom bohan
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I would suggest that you should to stick to one GM dealer until this problem is resolved. I am not sure if the PCM has anything to do with problem. If it is. That is something new to me. Just curious, do you have after market radio installed in your car? Anyway, If you want to check this out yourself I would suggest you perform the following tests and keep monitor test 1 below even after the repair is done:

1/ you can use a volt meter and measure accross the batt terminal. Record the voltage. It should be around 11.5 to 12.5 volts or slightly higher. If not, there may be a problem with your battery. Then start your car and repeat the measurement while the engine is running. It should be about 1 to 2 volts higher than the previous reading. If it is not. There is a problem with your alternator. 2/ Shut the engine off. Disconnect the negative cable from your battery. Use an amp meter and connect the meter in series (one wire connect to the negative post (terminal) and the other one connect to the cable itself) . With the ignition off. ther should be little or no reading on the amp meter. If there is a reading. There is something in the car that drain the battery such as improper radio installation.

Good luck Mnn

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Reply to
NOSPAM

I brought the car to the dealer again today to have them take a look and the alternater was dead again. The check engine code was 1336 which they said had something to do with the PCM not being able to written to. I don't exactlly remember, it was a few hours and I should have wrotten down the specifics. Anyways, they were confident that it was realted to the dead alternator. They're gonna warenty the alternator yet again. The location they sent it to when the ignition was replaced didn't replace the alternator afterwards so they think the alternator may have already been severly damaged and it just died after a little while. So this won't cost me anything now at least, they will put in an alternator and see if it lasts. If not they think the it is possible that there is a problem in the wires going to the PCM. He have me a name for that but I forget. It was a group of wires that go near where the wheel is. According to the guy the salt and crap from the roads gets up there and can corrode the wires. It least it looks liek they have something to look at now so I'm happy aobut that. I plan on traveling for Thanksgiving so hopefully I don't have any problems while I'm away. Just what I need is to get stuck somewhere where they won't fix it for free.

To address the specific issues in your reply, I don't know anything about cars but the mechanic did look at this. He said the alternator is not charging the battery. He said something about 12v but I don't know the context. I assume it meant that it was 12v while it was running which would show the dead alternator. The battery does stay charged when the car is off. I don't think it is the battery and I know they have checked it in the past but I believe they stopped as soon as they saw the dead alternator. I haven't installed anything in the car such as a stereo. It is still stock, though hopefully I'll be able to get an MP3 player when I no longer have to worry about repairs.

Thank you very much for your advice, any more would be appreciated. Also I was wondering if you know why it would be that the Check Engine Light would have come on this time but never in the past? Maybe something with the new PCM thats in there? Maybe it should have in the past but the old PCM was deffective? TIA.

Reply to
tom bohan

Reply to
The Jones'

Right on! If you want to know about a specific engine code, open yahoo search engine screen then type (gm engine code p1336)

Reply to
NOSPAM

Thank you! I didn't realize I could search for the codes. So do you have any idea why I would get this error message? It must have been done previously because it ran fine for a month or so. I wouldn't think the PCM could be cleared because the alternator isn't charging, right? Why wouldn't it have come on any of the other times the alternator died? This is the first time with this PCM, but I'd think it should be identicle to the previosu one. Like I said in an earlier post I don't know anything about cars so this may be common sense but I just don't know it. Also I forgot to mention this in the previous post but when the error is cleared it comes right back. I don't think that is too important but I want to be sure I include all of the details I know.

Reply to
tom bohan

I wish I could help you more. Perhaps each car is slightly difference. So stick to one GM service would be the best option for you. However, doing what you are doing is a good thing to understand or verfiy if the repair is done properly. So the information below is not intend to mislead you. Use it as information. My understanding is that the PCM only monitor the charging system. Its does not have the ability to control the alternator to decide if the batt. needs charge or not. It is done by the alternator itself (built in electronic regular control at the back of the generator to monitor both current for battery loading and voltage). So if you start your engine, the PCM will check potential voltage accross the charging system or batt. then report to PCM. If the voltage potential is not to specification, it will then send a light on to alarm you. That means if you solve your charging system (verify the voltage with engine off and on across batt. terminal using the voltmeter I mentioned in previous post). If this criteria is met, you should not have an engine light on that relate to your charging system. On the other note, about PCM code: The only way to clear the code is to remove its power source.

I would be interest if you could repost your finding about this problem.

Regards, Mnn

Reply to
NOSPAM

Thank you very much for your help, it makes more sense now why I got the check engine light this time instead of the last. I don't really remember the details of what they said about the function of the PCM, I thought they said it helps to regulate voltage but it could be that it was supposed to warn me if the voltage spikes.

Currently what I'm trying is the shop will replace the alternator again (its under warranty so it doesn't cost anything). They believe that when the ignition whatever was corroded it was spiking the system and that spike was burning out alternators. They didn't replace the alternator that was in there because it was still testing good. They are hoping that the alternator hat was in there was getting worn out from spiking before, so they are going to put a new alternator in and hope that nothing is spiking it anymore.I guess since this option is free it is the best place to start. I will defiantly keep you up to date on what happens. I should know in a month or two whether or not it will hold.

Thanks, Tom

Reply to
tom bohan

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