MoscowSubaruDude Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 So I think I blew my alternator. It's been giving the usual signs, the most significant, today, when I was driving down the freeway and it suddenly lost power. I got a push from the DOT dude in the big truck (I really need to get one of those push bumpers:headbang:). It's interesting though, I went back to the car after about 6 hours, and tried to start it... fired right up, no problem, zero electrical issues, went two blocks, and she did it again. Once again, zero battery power. The battery has been leaking, which is another decent sign, if I recall, it's something to do with pumping AC through the battery.. Also, my ghetto radio shack-issue handheld CB, when plugged into the cigarette lighter with the motor running, has been making a whining, rpm-fluctuating noise for the past week. Engine off, she works great. Possibly AC instead of DC, again? So I'm headed back into town to rescue her from the park'n'ride. I have 2 EA81 alts around here, good when they were pulled. Will they work in the EA82? There's enough residual juice in there for a start, she started again after I pushed her back to the lot (painful experience, I must say), so I'm not worried about getting a jump. I just need the electrical system to power itself for about 20 minutes while I drive like a madman back home. So... whatcha say? Alternator? Or something hideous? I'm betting on the alt, but maybe I'm wrong. Any advice, tips, thoughts, etc. Greatly appreciated. Thanks C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoahDL88 Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 Sounds like alt, my legacy didn't even throw a batt light, left me stranded on the way into work. you can always get the "bad" one checked at schmucks for free, to know for sure. Might be a good time to get a new battery too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indrid cold Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 Have your battery checked too... if bad it can draw alot of amps and starve the rest of your system.... just an idea... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durania Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 Sounds just like, especially the RPM fluctuation part. My alternator would go here and there until one night driving home it surged and blew every one of my headlights including some dash bulbs and the ones for the climate control. That sucked rump roast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoscowSubaruDude Posted October 24, 2006 Author Share Posted October 24, 2006 Would perhaps adding distilled water to the battery (to replace whatever was lost when it boiled/leaked/whatever) help it out a bit? it only needs to get home, I've got a big ol' honking truck battery waiting to go in... haven't had time to put it in, and now I'm kicking myself. I'm not sure how heavy the battery was to begin with, as I haven't had it out of the car yet, but I picked it up and it felt somewhat lighter than most batteries. As in, I could lift it up without much effort, whereas, normally, my noodly arms are about ready to pop. Well, not quite that bad, but you get the picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 Most batteries can't be "topped off" anymore. Some can, but it's comparitively rare. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 your engine shouldnt immediately die if your alternator suddenly fails.. it normally lights up a christmas tree of idiot lights on the dash, and continues to run for a little while at least on battery power before the engine dies.. or can an alternator blow in a way that causes total systemic fault, other than like say a fusible link issue? my point is, to me your story seems to point more towards some other electrical gremlin or magic wire than towards a blown alternator. The car usually dies, yes, but its usually a bit down the road once the battery gets sucked dry.. and when the alternators not functioning, and the engine is running, it lights up the christmas tree... so you get a warning that youre running with something MAJOR wrong, and pull over and stop.. but ive known people to run cars with dead alternators for months at a time, using two batteries and a charger and a LOT of wasted effort..... Check all the fusible links, and if you havent replaced the stamped-out copper factory batter terminals yet, buy some new cables for the battery. Bring a battery along thats got a good strong charge in it instead of counting on "topping the battery off," although I have done that on nearly every battery that has come my way secondhand ive ever gotten.. suffice it to say that if it looks like you can get to it to add water, you probably can, but PLEASE be very careful, do so at your own risk, etc, etc... "I have done that and not died. Perhaps you might be as fortunate, as I." battery acid == BAD good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spockva Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 I would not waste my time playing around with temporary fixes. It sounds like the alternator died, and it may not have lit up anything. It is my understanding, and this happened to me, the Subaru charge light only comes on when the VOLTAGE drops below a certain point. If the voltage stays up, then no light. However, if the AMPERAGE drops so low that it no longer replaces the system drain from the battery, then the vehicle runs for a while and then drops dead of no battery power. Your battery issues sound like the voltage regulator (internal to the alternator) locked full open for a period of time long enough to boil the water out of the battery . This finally eneded when the regulator burned out. Your best bet is to replace the alternator with a good one and replace the battery with a fully cahrged one at the same time so the bad battery does not damage the good alternator. Best of luck, GO SUBARU! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 when the voltage regulator on the alternator dies, it lights up the christmas tree. thats what went out on mine when it died. I dont know what happens when the alternator fails to output voltage but the regulator is still functional... my point was, if the car suddenly went to dead, no power, chances are its a grounding issue, battery cable issue, or fusible link issue, or some kind of short, rather than the alternator dying.. a battery should not "regain" enough charge to start the car if that same battery just caused the car to completely die through low voltage (ie, no lights would even come on dimly? if it was that dead then theres no way it would "come back") So be prepared for an alternator swap NOT to fix your problem, is all I am saying. I hope I'm wrong, but thats what goes through my head reading the posts... so I figured I would warn you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Id put a rebuilt alternator and a battery in it. You said the battery is leaking and usually these are just a 1-2 punch you won't be long on the other when one goes bad and getting both new gets you the most life out of both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 your engine shouldnt immediately die if your alternator suddenly fails.. it normally lights up a christmas tree of idiot lights on the dash, and continues to run for a little while at least on battery power before the engine dies.. or can an alternator blow in a way that causes total systemic fault, other than like say a fusible link issue? Depends on how it fails. If the VR fails in the right way, it can cause as much as 120 VAC or higher output from the alt. Internal stator coil failure can ground to the case and cause fusible links to blow or wires to melt. Bearing failure can destroy brushes, stators, and rotors, and possibly eat belts that drive other essencial components (water pumps, etc). If the rectifier circuit dies AC voltage can cause damage as well. The "christmas tree" will only light up if the failure is in the rectifier circuitry. This causes AC output and defeats the diode's in the control circuits of the guage cluster. Current reverses direction and flows back from gound into the indicator lamps, but only half the current. They glow slightly, or "flicker" with engine RPM. But - this is only one of several types of failures in the alt that can happen. It's a classic case, but I've had plenty of other failures that didn't involve the christmas tree. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spockva Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 That was the point I was trying to make, LOL! Id put a rebuilt alternator and a battery in it. You said the battery is leaking and usually these are just a 1-2 punch you won't be long on the other when one goes bad and getting both new gets you the most life out of both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoscowSubaruDude Posted October 25, 2006 Author Share Posted October 25, 2006 Well... brand-spanking-new Everstart battery, the known good alt out of my dead EA81, and she's back up and running. Someone mentioned about the various dash lights lighting up dimly... I had the park brake light on nonstop, just dimmer, when it was not parked... 20 minutes under the hood, that went away, the 'charge' dummy light turned off, and she drove home no problem:headbang:. Thanks for the help guys, much appreciated:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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