ok, new problem on the tC arised *battery/electric related*

[eujin]

Alright, so as I was on my way home my battery light came on, then a few mins later the ABS light came on, the e-brake light came on, and the air bag light came on.

dude, i was hella trippin, what the hell is going on?

my dad had a battery charger, thinking it was discharged, i charged it for like 3 hours. sooo i get home from a baseball game, and hook it up back to the car. dude, the battery light came on again. this shit is really buggin me.

my guess is that the battery is on its way to taking a shit. does anyone think this could be related to the alternator? why would all my instrument lights come on all of a sudden...as soon as i was driving from a red light, the ebrake light, abs and airbag lights turned off, and the only light that was lit was the battery light. that was still on.

i really dont have money to get a new battery, freakin rent is due tomorrow...does anyone have a fully charged battery they can lend me in the meantime?

i HOPE its just the battery and nothing electrical in my car, it freaked me out big time.

any and all help would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance :grin:

ps, thanks for the offer Jef, didnt know my dad had a charger at the time.

[Iateacricket]

Kinda sounds like an alternator problem.

[squirrel]

Yeah, sounds like the alternator is getting ready to crap, along w/ the battery.

I had both go out at the same time. Why? My system was causing a drain on the battery, and since my alternator was stock, it was working the alternator to death. Mainly when I would leave the xB running at idle during events.

Iraggi and HO alternators make 160-200 amp units, and Evildave found a place in Tracy I need to check out.

[DoubleDiamond]

I agree it could be the alternator :ponder:

[AznDreamer]

Battery and alternator huh??? Dude, i'll get you discounts at Kragens . . hahaha . . . seriously though . . lemme know.

[squirrel]

I have a 1,600 watt system, along w/ the dvd player and 5 screens, so it caused a strain on my whole sytem.

[DoubleDiamond]

I have a 1,600 watt system, along w/ the dvd player and 5 screens, so it caused a strain on my whole sytem.
So how did you solve the problem?

[Krdshrk]

Is your car still under Warranty? I had a faulty battery - it wouldn't hold a charge. They replaced it free.

[_Keith_]

Is your car still under Warranty? I had a faulty battery - it wouldn't hold a charge. They replaced it free.

Hes got aftermarket system and lighting... they wont warranty it..

But sounds like a alternator......

[Krdshrk]

Just say "the system has been disconnected for a month".

They saw I had a system wire going to the back but I told them it's been disconnected. I even looked at the power draw when I had it hooked up to a battery charger - minimal.

[eujin]

shiiiet..i'm gonna check to see if its the alternator then. the way to test it is to start the car up and d/c the + terminal and if the car still runs then its fine right? if it dies out then its most likely the alternator? someone holla and let me know if thats right.

any damage if i keep driving around with it like this? cuz i dont have any money to buy a new one right now till next week on Friday -.-

sooo shitty...

thanks for the replies guys , much appreciated :D

[_Keith_]

shiiiet..i'm gonna check to see if its the alternator then. the way to test it is to start the car up and d/c the + terminal and if the car still runs then its fine right? if it dies out then its most likely the alternator? someone holla and let me know if thats right.

any damage if i keep driving around with it like this? cuz i dont have any money to buy a new one right now till next week on Friday -.-

sooo shitty...

thanks for the replies guys , much appreciated :D
I think autozone can do the alternator test

[Krdshrk]

Yes - autozone does alternator tests. Also - get a meter to see how much power your system is pulling too. You may need a 2nd battery or a cap.

[FluffyPuppy]

shiiiet..i'm gonna check to see if its the alternator then. the way to test it is to start the car up and d/c the + terminal and if the car still runs then its fine right? if it dies out then its most likely the alternator? someone holla and let me know if thats right.

any damage if i keep driving around with it like this? cuz i dont have any money to buy a new one right now till next week on Friday -.-

sooo shitty...

thanks for the replies guys , much appreciated :D

The best way to check it is to check the voltage your car is running at with the car on. If you get a volt meter you can check it or I'd be more then willing to help you with his. set it to dc voltage and hook it up to the battery, it should be 13.8-14.4 volts, if its less then this its the alternator. People think that it just has to be above 12 volts, but it has to be 13.8 or higher for the battery to actually take a charge. Also check the voltage after its been sitting over night, with the car off and it should be above 12 volts, anything lower and its your battery. Let us know what you find

[eujin]

woot! problem solved.

first i checked it out by starting the car, then d/c the positive terminal on the battery. the car died instantly, lol. i was like damnnnnnn.

then i finally checked out the alternator and it looks as if the top bolt with that tri-top was loose, and it was arching. tighted it down, started the car up, d/c the positive and the car stayed on! i was like sweeeeet!

didnt check the alternator till now cuz i have a dressup kit covering it, and more daylight out.

THANKS to everyone who pitched in advice to help a fellow Scikotic out :D I really appreciate it guys

[Iateacricket]

Aha loose bolt! Glad to hear it wasn't anything too serious!

[Curtis]

Woot nice!

[Krdshrk]

How'd that get loose? Weird.

[JoshCrane1]

hmmm...... still sounds fishy, a bolt on the alternator would cause that. unless of course it was one of the diodes.

[_Keith_]

hmmm...... still sounds fishy, a bolt on the alternator would cause that. unless of course it was one of the diodes.

Why is that fishy?

When the battery in a scion goes bad..... you get a check engine light a vssc light and about 5 other lights... should get the same lights if miminal power is being delivered to the car.......

Sounds right to me..... It happened to me in my old xb... and in my tc, and in Allans xB.

[shizzzon]

Just a safety reminder -
in the future - NEVER disconnect the positive... never disconnect either cable going to the battery while it is on, Power or ground!
The battery is THE regulator for the voltage regulator and alternator. I have no other way of putting it then like that. If you could keep them unplugged, then manufacturer's would be using smaller batteries with quicker discharges(such as capacitors).
What can happen is the voltage will spike! If it does, there goes.... well anything and everything.

So how to properly test?
Get a voltage reading with the car OFF.
Now start your car and have someone else in the car and rev it to at least 1,000rpm. 800 rpm may be enough but 1,000 to be on the safe side. This will engage the alternator. Now test the voltage again. If the voltage is higher, then your alt and\or regulator is working properly.

For a high output alternator, do not let autozone or a business that just replaces alts test an aftermarket H.O. alt. Why? Because they do not have the equipment to do so. If you do not believe me, ask them first to be sure that they have the equipment.
Most companies use Battery clamps to measure high output alt performance. that's a mistake.
Most companies use 8 gauge power\ground cabling on their test equipment, that's a mistake. (and anything smaller is even worse)
Some companies do not believe it is possible to make an alt over 150A... that's a mistake BIG TIME.


IF you ever need a high output alt tested, make sure you take it to the right business. This is just a forewarning.