I did a forum search for this problem, so I'm kinda pointing towards alternator problems, but i'm hoping for a preferably easier to fix problem that might be going on, so once again, I turn my questions to you all.

 

The warning lights are: Charge Battery, Brake Fluid, Stop Lamp, and parking brake. First off, Brakes are fine, lights light and fluid is topped, and parking brake was fully released. As for the charge, I do not have an indicator (yet) or a fluke to check volts. Prior posts indicate that the alt may be bad, so how to check this without those tools at hand?

 

Also, I noticed that there had been a slight leak of battery acid from the battery. I washed it off and all, but would that have been related to the lights and alternator's potential problem?

 

I'm begining to strongly dislike this car's engine. It very reliably gets me wherever I need to go, and even more reliably has some new issue come up. The problem is that I have to make a 600+ mile trip this weekend and I really need to know how to fix this. I don't want to go out and buy a bunch of stuff and have that not fix it; batteries and alternators are expensive for me. Anyone recall anyplace that will do alternator/battery tests for free?

 

Czar "Thanks in advance" Mohab

I had a GL-10 once that had a weird alternator issue. When you turned the key to *on*, but not started, the lights(CHRG/STOP/BK.FL) would not come on(like they should, normal for Stop/Brake to appear with the CHRG). Then with the car started the lights would be dimmly on at idle, and gradually come on more and more with prolonged driving. Eventually without enough juice to run even the digidash, and car would die.

 

If however, before I started the car I adjusted the mounting bolt and /or hammered on the alternator with a lug wrench, the Dash lights(charge,Brake,Stop lamp) all came on and the car would charge lights off whole driving. Alternator tested good. Weird right? Grounding issue of the Alt? bad Connections? so I replaced the connectors and a few inches of new wire. Filed and ground the Alt mounts till shiny bare metal to metal. Replaced battery cables. still the same. Gotta either whack it or turn the 12m bolt a bit to get the lights before start up.

 

Moral of the story. It was the Alternator. Bad contact internally causing the *come n go* failures. Replaced it and the Battery and it was all good.

 

So I'd say you could try and check clean and replace as nessecary any alternator and battery connections. cut away and Solder in new wire the last 6 inches or so going to the alternator.

 

But if that doesn't work, other than that I'd say replace battery and Alternator. I always replace both at the same time because a bad battery will kill a new alternator and vice/versa

Well, found a place out here that will test for free, so I'm headed there after work, so long as the car keeps going, its only 15 miles or so...

 

Mayhap this is where that unidentified rattle was coming from... bad alt bearing or something. We'll see. Just didn't want to spend alot of dough on the beast.

Yup. Alternator. Never noticed before, but it was the original that came with the engine. Wonder whats next on the "Original Equipment" list to break...

 

And, sadly, the rattle is still there. There goes my hopes for an easy fix.

 

On the plus side, headlights are a tad brighter now. Go figure.