Battery Light????

[IdahoSL2]

Ok I was driving home from the races tonight and my battery light came on my dash, does this meen bad battery otr bad alternator. I drove with the light on for about 30 miles, with my stero playin, my fog lights on, just everything that could draw some juice was on. And as I pulled in my driveway my ABS light cam on also. Any idea's to what it is?

[PlastikAvenger]

alternator FTW....same things happened to me twice....all your idiot lights will com on then shit starts goin downhill

[IdahoSL2]

Is it hard to put in an alternator?

[PlastikAvenger]

not too bad....then again i had my dad there to help me thru it and hes a saturn tech...lol....but its really not all that difficukt...most of the work is takin shit off to ge to the alternator itself...shields and so-forth....the alternator itself is easy

[brokenheadz2003]

keep in mind its under the car...not in plain view like a V8 lol

[ProjectSW1]

yeah, easiest way to get it out is to jack up the right side

turn the steering wheel all the way to the left

pull out the 2 mounting bolts, disconnect the one wire and the harness

wiggle it out and pass it down thru the right side wheel well

(you may have to pull your right wheel... I just realized that you probably still have your wheel well liner in... where I had taken mine out years ago)

[PlastikAvenger]

yea brian...thats what i did too....and i had to take all the lining out and stuff...thats what i meant last nite when i told him about the shields and stuff....

[Jeremy]

Yep alternator.

Hooray!

[S.Bretz]

First check to see if the fuseable link going to the alternator still in one piece. I had mine fall off and the battery light came on. If its ok, the alt is toast.

[sl2fast]

oh and when you put a new alt in, it may seem like its the wrong one cuz when bolting it to the block it seems like it has a lot of play dont worry when you tighten the bolts theres a bushing in ther that helps clamp her down. I damn near shit myself when i did mine, thought i fuckin had the wrong alt.

wouldnt doubt it with the fuckin retards at the sanford autozone

[IdahoSL2]

So it is farely easy to swap them out?

[S.Bretz]

Yes. Just remember to disconnect the battery first ....trust me.

[saturnspeed_12]

alternator OR belt tensioner.

[Jeremy]

alternator OR belt tensioner.

if it were the tensioner the battery light would flicker, at least on a 91-94. Im not sure about 95+ cars.

[saturnspeed_12]

mine went on and off a few times then went solid on for 120 miles till i had to turn off my lights, disconnect a few things (while driving) and hope a cop didnt see me driving without headlights [img]{SMILIES_PATH}/shock.gif[/img] , but i hit the brake since some idiot locked his and it died in the middle of a construction zone and no where to pull off. my 4 ways wouldnt even work