I have a 97 TL 2.5 and have been having some strange charging or battery problems with it. Yesterday the car would not start so I figured it was the battery which was replaced about a year ago. I have also replace the altenator and starter with OEM parts (both which are a pain).

Here is what happend yesterday:
1. I jumped it and it worked, drove for about 5 miles and it cut off again.
2. Jumped it again and it worked, then drove it about 1 miles and it cut off.
3. Jumped it again, drove it about 1 mile and it cut off.
4. Got it back to advance autoparts and put a meter on it, while the car is on it reads about 12.8 volts.
5. Got the battery tested and replaced with a new one, with the car started it reads about 14.08.

Here is my question:
1. Shouldn't the car read 14.4 volts when the old batter was connected when the car is started? Its reads about 14 now with the new battery.
2. Is there something in between the altenator and the battery that regulates charging?
3. Why would the car cut off during driving, shouldn't the altenator have enough power to keep it started?

Thanks ahead for any suggestions/info. Its always appriciated.

 

I don't know how to answer this question because i am starting to have that same problem so could someone out there answer this one for the both of us?

 

Is your charging light on? It's the battery icon in the gauge cluster, and if it's on the ABS light should be on, too. That means that the alternator isn't charging the battery. Check your alt output cable as mine was pretty messed up after 265,000 miles.

~Cheers~

 

No lights like that. Its strange that the car would cut off after a jump.

I was thinking about doing the old fashion alternator test, by starting the car and remove the positive terminal. I have not done this test before so but I was told it works.

Also, the voltage does go up when I give it gas.

 

My 2.5TL would act funny with the voltage too. Instead, my voltage would drop when I give it gas while driving after the engine has warmed up. Yours might be an alternator problem. Maybe a connector or the alternator itself is dying out.

 

Check the green connector on the back of the alternator. There's only one push clip you need to push in to remove it. Sometimes just unplugging something and plugging it back in fixes it.

~Cheers~

 

I was sort of thinking the same thing. I just replaced the alternator about 6 months ago with OEM parts. I looked at the top connector and it still looks good, I'll look at the back connect this weekend. It was a pain to install the alternator so I might have damaged some wires getting it in.

From some research on the web, it looks like the voltage regulator is built into the alternator so if its bad then the alternator has to be replaced.

Thanks for the info!!

 

I think it is the alternator problem. The car died today and I had to jump it. While it was being jumped I test voltage and it was reading about 13.8. I disconnected the jumper cable and it went back down to 12 and started dropping fast so this lead me to believe it might be the alternator.

I traced the main cable from the alternator post to the fuse box and tested it there. Same thing, 13.8 volts when the jumper cables were connected and 12 and dropping fast when I disconnected it.

Now I unscrewed the cable from the fuse box and wile the jumper cables were connected I tested and it read 13.8 volts. I removed the cable from the fuse box so it was now only running to the alternator and it only tested about .5 volts.

From this info, can I conclude that its a bad alternator?

 

I'm guessing the other car was running when you tested it.

Anyhow, your alternator is dead.

~Cheers~

 

Yup, it was running. I'm looking for a new alternator now. Damn those things are expensive!!!

 

Just ordered a used OEM alternator off ebay. Will let you guys know results this weekend.

 

It looks like the alternator was the problem. I got a used one from ebay, installed it and it looks like its charging back up. I'll be keeping an eye on the battery for a little bit until I see that its working for sure.