CAR DIES OUT, ammeter not picking up anything!! CHANGED ALT. STILL PROBLEMS
 

ive dropped off my red top optima battery to autozone to be charged, it was reading around 10 volts.. anyway in the meantime i jacked a battery out of my brother truck that has been sitting for months (battery is dead) its a el cheapo he got in mexico (he had no choice) ::) i put it in my car, jumped it, it started but after about one minute the car shuts off!! ive tryed jumping it twice with the same results, but what is really strange is my ammeter isnt moving even with the head lighs on etc.. ??? i dont think my problem is just a dead battery :-\ please help!

Re: CAR DIES OUT, ammeter not picking up anything!!
 

Well its probably your alternator. Bring it down to Vatozone and they car check it. Or when you get your battery back check the voltage with the car off. Then start the car and check the volts. it should be around 13.5-14 volts.

Re: CAR DIES OUT, ammeter not picking up anything!!
 

alternator...start the car and unplug the battery cable, i bet it dies since the alt is shot

Re: CAR DIES OUT, ammeter not picking up anything!!
 

ok i pulled out my old alternator, the signal wires connector and nut thing was completly rusted/corroded :-\ it was so bad it broke in half while unbolting it. aslo as i turned over the alternator water was coming out of it. It still spins freely tho...but luckily i have a new alternator in the house :)

Re: CAR DIES OUT, ammeter not picking up anything!! CHANGED ALT. STILL PROBLEMS
 

I put another alternator in, everything is good but my ammeter is reading around 30+ with all electronics off! what does that mean? is that normal?

Re: CAR DIES OUT, ammeter not picking up anything!! CHANGED ALT. STILL PROBLEMS
 

god damnit!! now after i shut the car off, the battery starts drianing FAST with five minutes there is NO more power at all not even the horn will go off :-\ ive jumped it several times with the same results. I checked all fueses, what do i check next???
BTW when this first started (when the car was dieing out) my cd player went out ??? and no i dont have a system, just a cd player...coincidental?

Re: CAR DIES OUT, ammeter not picking up anything!! CHANGED ALT. STILL PROBLEMS
 

ok im running out of idea's here, i checked the new alt. and its good, removed every fuse execpt the crucial ones under the dash. I even completly remved my cd player ( possibly shorting somwhere because it suddenly went out(?) ) ive noticed when im hooking up my jumper cables it sparks for a sec when touching the terminals, doesnt that only happen when something is "ON" in the car?? im totally stumped here....Please help

Re: CAR DIES OUT, ammeter not picking up anything!! CHANGED ALT. STILL PROBLEMS
 

there is a main power line arking the body some where. the wire is like the one that powers the cd player memery.

Re: CAR DIES OUT, ammeter not picking up anything!! CHANGED ALT. STILL PROBLEMS
 

you need to do a drain test.

1. Remove the neg on the battery.
2. attach one end of the ammeter to the neg cable and the other to the battery
3. Measure current going through.
4. start pulling one fuse at a time until the current drops.
5. Trace that fuses wiring and look for a short.

Re: CAR DIES OUT, ammeter not picking up anything!! CHANGED ALT. STILL PROBLEMS
 

just to make this clear, i disconnect the ammeter gauge from my car, connect one end of the gauge to the negitive cable that is dissconected from the battery post, connect the other end of the ammeter to the postive battery cable, pull each fuse out untill the current drops...correct? ???

BTW the battery is completly dead, will i need to jump my car so it can have some juice before i do this test?