1988 Subaru GL SW. Now as I was driving to the airport the warning lamps, including the park lamp, start to dimmly come on. I also noticed the volt meter was slightly below 12V. I pulled over and checked the belts, no problem. Since I had to pick up someone from the airport I drove there without using any power, no radio, power windows, air, wipers, CC. Well on the way home the power lasted till my house, just barely. Lights were so dim hard to see where I was driving.

Anyway, is this a classic ALT failure, or should I be looking for a lifted ground? I drove the other car in this morning, the car is still on the charger while I'm at work. Suggestions? Figure this must have happened before to someone?

Was thinking PAP for a new ALT....

Your alternator is toast. I have had this happen before on my wife's car numerous times until I found there was a draw between the alt and the battery. My rebuilder figured it out for me and we put in a direct wire to the battery and I haven't blown an alt in 2 years. What you have described is the typical alternator dying scenario. Get a rebuilt tonight and put it in and you should be in good shape

 

 

Good Luck

How did you route the cable between the alt and the battery? Been thinking of doing this myself because my car eats alt's. Looking at the wires it seems to me that the positive cable from the alt goes trough the fusible links, and to the battery. Could i just replace that cable, except going straight to the battery from the alt? Or are there other stuff that requires the cable to go through the fusible links?

 

 

Thanks in advance

 

BFN

 

BTW My car is an 86 MPFI EA82, 3door coupe

leave the wiring as it is and just run a wire from the alternator to a fusable link on the positive battery terminal. That should take car of the problem, it did for me.

 

 

Mike