Help!
 

On my way into work this morning I noticed all my dummie lights were on like the abs,batt symbol, stop lamp etc, the car seems to be running fine anyone have any idea what it could be?

Sounds like your alternator is on its way out. Best bet is to take it to Autozone and have it tested for free. Make sure you check the belts and pulleys while you are at it.

Also, check the power connection on the top of the alternator for tightness, and check the ground points around the battery. It is, though, most likely you're alternator.

Mike

I agree that the alternator (or possibly its connections) are the prime suspect, but I am wary of having a parts store test the alternator itself. They test the thing for no more than 5 seconds and therefore easily miss intermittent problems.

Have them test it if you like, but understand that even if they say it's fine, it could very well not be.

Good point. I almost forgot the issues I had with my wires coming off the positive lead. They torched! Definitely check there too.

I think the best way to keep an eye on the charging system over time is to install a cheap aftermarket voltmeter. This has saved me money on more than one occasion.

You can also look at the pulley. If there is a black powdery buildup, the bearing could be going bad. When this happens, the alternator cannot charge properly. Just one more thing to check.

Although these are all good things to check, I would put moeny on it being the alternator itself. Also, make sure you don't drain your battery too low! You could be looking at another expense if you do.

your

(Sorry, Rosie.)

yeah I was guessing the altenerator myself but was i hope of it being something stupid :-( I hate to drop $230 for it but oh well. Thanks for your help

You may be able to find a shop to rebuild your old one for much less.

I just went ahead and bought a remanufractured one from carquest becasue it ended up being the problem is was not putting out enough volts and from the look of it it was the original. The install was a peice of cake though so something went right :-)