Weird alternator problem

[NTX_3kGT]

I went through about 6 pages in the search and found nothing concerning my problem.

I drove to Sonic last night and everything was fine no problems at all.

I accidently left the key in the ON position with the car off. Yea i know i'm stupid. No big deal i can jump it. Well after unhooking the alarm and starting up i proceed to leave for home but i'm only showing 12 volts. My lights are dim to non existant, none of my gauges are registering. Well i died again. My dad came and jumped me again. I drove home as fast as possible. We put it on a charger overnight. I started up fine today but still has only 12 volts or less so i moved it into the garage And now I have no clue.

I tested for magnetism on the back of the alternator with the car on and got no results. I can't imagine that it would quit working that fast. I really haven't done any work on the car since my crank pulley broke about a month ago. It was raining last night while we were trying to jump it.

[Thaprinceofbuffalo]

ummmmmm i had the exact same problem with my car, and everybody i went to said it was the alternator, alternator alternator....... but the etacs( i think thats the right initials) was the the thing had got messed up from circuit city who installed my cd player in wrong, have you had anything installed on your car recently? if its not this it might be the alternator. hope this helps

[ZephTheChef]

Sounds like an alterator issue to me...that or the battery took a shit when it lost its charge and is too big a drain for the alternator to keep up...if that were the case, I doubt it would run at all though.

[ZephTheChef]

I'd just pull the alternator and have O'Reillys or somewhere test it for you...shouldn't take 10 minutes to get that sucker off of there.

[NTX_3kGT]

OK i'll probably pull the alternator tomorrow. The battery is 2 and a half years old.

As it stands right now when i turn the key to the ON position there a weird sound on the drivers side of the engine. It sounds like a pump is opening a valve or something. It didn't start until this morning.

[wraith]

Are you sure you hooked everything back up right when you changed the crank pulley? Is it an under-drive pulley? If it is, get yourself a stocker because the underdrives will not generate enough power on slow idle to do dick.

Sam

[NTX_3kGT]

yea, that was a month ago with the pulley. Its the stock size 3sx lightweight pulley. I put the pulley on, torqued it down. put the power steering belt on and tensioned that then put the other belt on and tensioned that. It worked fine except for the A/c belt either being too tight or too loose because it squeals when the A/C is turned on.

I'm gonna pull the alternator and get it checked tomorrow.

[Stealthee]

Make sure you didnt short something and blow the altenator fusible link.

[tarfin]

Take your battery and alternator to AutoZone and have them test BOTH.

[DBLerman]

Yeah I'd go with Stealthee on this one and suggest checking the 110 amp fusible link in the fuse box on passenger side of engine bay. If that is fine THEN have your battery and alternator tested.