This is the theird, or forth battery my SVX has gone through in about 2 months. I have a 5spd SVX, and it seems like my alternator is not getting a charge to the battery. When ever i put a new battery in, or charge one up it only last about 2- 3 days before its complety dead, one time the battery was so dead that i had to drive home by pooping the clutch to get it to start. I drove for probley 10-15 mins on a complety dead battery so i know that the alternator works. I upgarged the grounging for 8 gauge to 2 gauge and i thought that fixed it, but no it jsut killed abnother battery. When ever my battery is about dead all the idiot lights come up very dimmley and fade away every so often. Any ideas what would casue this?

It prolly is your alternator. Voltage regulators, which is prolly the culprit, are inside alternators these days. Just take it off and bring it to a NAPA or someplace to have it tested. If it's not the alt., then you have a short somewhere draining the charge.

I forgot to add i just got a rebuild of the alternator, i will have it tested tomaro probley.

I know everyone will give me hell when I say this, but I've never experienced or seen damage done from doing it.

 

Start the car, then remove the positve lead from the battery (or take the positive lead off and jump start from another vehicle if you don't feel it's safe).

 

Turn on the brights, fan on high, rear defroster. The car should run powered only by the alternator throughout the RPM range. If it don't, it ain't hackin' the mission, if'n ya know whut I mean.

It isn't a good idea to do as Tiny suggest's the battery helps smooth the spikes that alternators can generate so you can zap things like the engine management system doing this.

A simple multimeter set at DC Volt (accross the battery's posts) will tell you if your alt is putting more current than your car is eating: should be between 13 and 14.8 volts and over 12 volts with everything that's usually on when you drive.

While you're at it, put the meter at AC Volts (+ to the alt ouput and - to ground). If you have an AC Voltage of more than .5 volt, the diodes are bad.

He could always have it load tested at Autozone. I will stick by my method...

Had it checked it was a bad alternator.

Good deal, sounded like it. Did you buy a rebuilt, or is there an alternator repair place around your area?