bad alternator? car dies while driving

[guessguy]

I was driving home last night, and all of a sudden the car dies. Everything turns off, no lights or interior lights. I pull over and fiddle around with the battery wires and the lights come back on. While driving home and idling at the lights, the car dies, but starts back up. What would cause this? Do I need a new alternator? Battery was replace only 4 months ago.

 

[Jeb]

I suspect you have a loose or corroded ground wire or even the hot wire off the battery. That it worked after you "fiddled" with the wires, tells me it's something which goes bad with vibration. I'd start with the hot side of the battery and if that's ok, start looking for a bad ground. If it were the hot wire to the battery, it shouldn't affect the lights.

 

[C4Tom]

Quick check for the alternator is to start it up and then disconnect the ground wire from the battery. If it dies, bad alternator... or bad connection from the alternator.

 

[guessguy]

now this is odd... got home tonight and went to start her up, and the battery voltage read 12.0 then upon starting it shot up to 14.7 where it stood... Drove around and it dropped to 14.5 but it still idled rough and wanted to stall...
Now why in the world did it just die on my last night while still driving? Never happend to me before. All of a sudden the entire car went black. Should I be worried, get it checked out?

 

[Jeb]

Yes.

 

[C4Tom]

Sounds like you have a definate electronics problem. Maybe loose/bad wire on the starter?

 

[Hrtbeat1]

Quick check for the alternator is to start it up and then disconnect the ground wire from the battery. If it dies, bad alternator... or bad connection from the alternator.

Hey Tom I know that is and easy way to check the altenator but FWIW the factory service manual specifically discourages doing this as it can damage the many different computers in our cars. If you have priced any of them you wouldn't want to have to replace some. (the ABS computer is $900 cheapest I've found.)

 

[C4Tom]

Hey Tom I know that is and easy way to check the altenator but FWIW the factory service manual specifically discourages doing this as it can damage the many different computers in our cars. If you have priced any of them you wouldn't want to have to replace some. (the ABS computer is $900 cheapest I've found.)

Thanks for the info. I never even considered it messing with the computers. Stands to reason though. My dang old school thought process. :W