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  #1  
Old 09-20-2003, 08:51 AM
StaceyVX
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Question Car Died Twice Yesterday. Please Help!

Okay, I'm going to take deep breaths and try and explain this as best as I can hoping someone here can help me.

Yesterday, I was driving on I-95 and when I got off at an exit, the car started slowing down and all the lights came on in the dash (ie. power steering, check oil, etc.). I pulled over and turned the car off. I sat there for a couple minutes and tried starting it up again and it worked. It let me drive it for another 20 minutes or so and proceeded to do the same thing again. I was thinking it was the battery, but I don't think if it was the battery that it would let me go that far without dying again (speaking from a previous experience with another car).

Another problem, non-related to the previous, is possibly some gear thing?...This is kind of hard to explain. It's like I'm accelerating and once I hit 20 sometimes, there is this feeling as if I am in neutral while trying to go faster and then out of nowhere it gets this kick and from there on, it's fine.

If anyone can help me with either of these, I would really appreciate it. The main problem is the first one. I want to get it diagnosed and possibly corrected before I have to go back to classes on Tuesday.
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  #2  
Old 09-20-2003, 09:15 AM
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Seraph Seraph is offline
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Your alternator is dead or dying. Get a volt meter and when you hit about 11.5V while driving, pull it down to N and slam on the gas. That should kick the alternator back in. That's a temp. fix till you can get a new alternator.
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  #3  
Old 09-20-2003, 09:26 AM
StaceyVX
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Did this happen to you before, Lwin? My boyfriend thinks he is going to take the alternator out and have it tested at his work. I just want to make sure how sure you are before he does this. Thanks!!!

Last edited by StaceyVX; 09-20-2003 at 10:28 AM.
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  #4  
Old 09-20-2003, 10:32 AM
Shot king
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This happened to me in my Suby Loyale, like Lwin said it turned out to be an alternator . The wierd thing was when i had it tested they said the could'nt find anything wrong with it but it was noisy as hell and since it was out of the car i had them rebuild it anyway. Put it back in and the problem was solved.
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  #5  
Old 09-20-2003, 11:16 AM
StaceyVX
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Wow, well at least you knew what the problem was...I had no clue; just thought it was the battery, but then decided it couldn't have been. Then I asked my boyfriend to take it somewhere to have it looked at, but he said that if the problem doesn't happen while they are looking at it, they can't tell what is causing it. He was going to take it out and have it tested at Pep Boys, but he just went out somewhere. Bleh.
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  #6  
Old 09-22-2003, 06:51 AM
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GreenMarine GreenMarine is offline
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This happened to me too... It was my altornator... instead of going with the stock replacement though(70 something amps), I went with a 119 amp replacement... Got a great deal on it too since my friend's dad owns a performance store in West Virginia... If ya want me to work on getting ya one just like mine for around the same price I paid for mine just let me know

lindleycj@beaufort.usmc.mil

If you need a replacement RIGHT NOW then I'd just get one at a parts store... I wouldn't be able to promise it any sooner than about a week and a half from the day that you want it...
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  #7  
Old 09-22-2003, 08:17 AM
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Yep, I've had the alt do the the same thing...

The scary part of the post was the "Feels like nutral at 20 MPH". it's a long thread but I just went through his problem myself. You need to fix it ASAP, cause it's causing problems in your traant every time it flares like that. Take a look at: http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/show...hreadid=12865.

Good luck with that.
Collins
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  #8  
Old 09-22-2003, 04:43 PM
StaceyVX
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Thank you sooo much! I don't need trans problems.

Quote:
Originally posted by ww111
Yep, I've had the alt do the the same thing...

The scary part of the post was the "Feels like nutral at 20 MPH". it's a long thread but I just went through his problem myself. You need to fix it ASAP, cause it's causing problems in your traant every time it flares like that. Take a look at: http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/show...hreadid=12865.

Good luck with that.
Collins
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  #9  
Old 09-22-2003, 04:43 PM
StaceyVX
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I do need one asap because I don't want it to get to the point where it completely dies. My boyfriend has called a few places to price alternators, I'm curious as to how much you got yours for. Could you PM me w/it? Maybe if it's a good deal, I can use his car for awhile til I get it.

Quote:
Originally posted by GreenMarineSVX
Got a great deal on it too since my friend's dad owns a performance store in West Virginia... If ya want me to work on getting ya one just like mine for around the same price I paid for mine just let me know
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  #10  
Old 09-30-2003, 06:44 AM
StaceyVX
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Question

So, I had the alternator taken out and tested and it turns out it is fine. What else could be the problem?
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  #11  
Old 09-30-2003, 10:02 AM
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I willl still say it's the alternator. I had a SVX that had a alternator with it's own mind. The key here is to have a voltmeter in your car plugged in at all times. The trick is to put the car in Nutral (even if it is running) slam on the gas and kick the alternator backin order when the voltage out put drops to about 12V. That should kick the voltage output to about 13.5-14V again. You are set.

In a camaro with similear trouble, I just take a huge hammer and hit on the housing.

When tested, both alternators were fine. I just rebuilt them and the trouble disappear.

L
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  #12  
Old 09-30-2003, 12:59 PM
Shot king
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As i had said earlier mine tested fine also ,but i had it rebuilt since i already had it out and it solved the problem. No guarentees but i think its your bet bet.
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  #13  
Old 10-18-2003, 08:29 PM
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Another open ended thread.

Did you do anything about the alternator?

The problem at 20mph is probably during the 2-3 shift. It could be binding (as if 2nd gear doesn't want to let go). According to ww111's thread that would indicate that the band brake is too tight.
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  #14  
Old 10-19-2003, 09:04 PM
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Im confused

Quote:
Originally posted by Seraph
I willl still say it's the alternator. I had a SVX that had a alternator with it's own mind. The key here is to have a voltmeter in your car plugged in at all times. The trick is to put the car in Nutral (even if it is running) slam on the gas and kick the alternator backin order when the voltage out put drops to about 12V. That should kick the voltage output to about 13.5-14V again. You are set.

In a camaro with similear trouble, I just take a huge hammer and hit on the housing.

When tested, both alternators were fine. I just rebuilt them and the trouble disappear.

L
Are you suggesting her to do a giant neutral drop
in the car ????
Why not just rev it up a bit (if thats the case temp answer)
in first gear down a side road up to a given rpm ???
Better yet put a multi meter on the system and see what
the voltage output is normal and under a load...
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  #15  
Old 10-21-2003, 07:25 AM
StaceyVX
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Oh my God, this is getting insane. My car STILL does not work!!! My boyfriend took the alternator to his work and had it tested and it came back fine although I told him that it would do that. Then I had it towed to some electricial guy because that's what people at his work said it could be. So I paid wasted money on an electrical diagnostic test. THEN I bought a new battery (it needed one anyway). THEN I had it towed AGAIN to the same place and I said, "Could you please look at the alternator." and the guy said that was indeed the problem. So he suggested a place to go that they would only fix what needed to be fixed instead of rebuilding the entire thing. So yet AGAIN my boyfriend takes the alternator out and drives to the place. He comes back and says they said it was fine!

Now what should I do??? Should I just go somewhere and tell them to rebuild it no matter if they think it's fine or not? I called Subaru, but I definitely don't wanna get ripped off and get it fixed there, but they suggested that it could be the regulator. My boyfriend thinks I should just pay Subaru to have them look at it and tell me what's wrong, but not have them fix it and take it elsewhere...

I rarely get to come online anymore either, so I haven't been on to post and I've been dying to. Any advice is so much appreciated. I miss my car. I've been driving his XT6 minus the power steering for over a month now. I'm not going to be able to do that anymore soon because the weather is getting cold and he can't keep riding his Harley.
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