zlively127

just started making a humming sound in the engine bay.

gauge lights dim and pulse when idling.

xenons flicker.

does this sound like a bad alternator? or what?

thanks for the help.

Tee-Dot

Sounds like the alternator to me, especially if it's fine when driving down the road.

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preludatic

agreed. do a battery and alternator test at your local autozone

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zlively127

alternator is good battery is good.

im gonna get new spark plugs and get my ignition checked out

G_Loc

What RPMs are you idling at?

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zlively127

around 800

zlively127

turns out when my car is not yet warmed up my alternator runs at about 14.0 idle and 14.5 reved.

then once it warms up the humming begins. i decided to test it when it was warmed up and the alternator was at about 12.5 idle and 13.1 reved up...bad alternator....

i just dont understand why it works fine when the car is cold, then after about 5-10mins worth of driving it starts assing out on me....

G_Loc

That sounds about right...

Some things to check for with the car off:

1. Pull the big plug off the alternator and clean off the contacts inside the alternator and inside the plug
2. Unplug the thick cable from the alternator and check for corrosion

My alternator was sporadically acting up and it turned out to be corrosion inside the big plug

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zlively127

thanks for the help. if that doesnt help ill just pick me up a new one tonight.

G_Loc

Alright, just be wary of the ones that Autozone, Advanced, etc. sell. Make sure you get one with a long warranty period as they don't seem to last as long (about 1 year in my experiences)

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zlively127

ill keep my eyes open, thanks

zlively127

now my car is having problems starting.

sometimes the starter will take a while to turn..and sound slow. Sometimes it will click really fast.

i heard that when you replace your alternator the battery usually goes out... my battery is 6 months old. or is it time for a new starter.. anyone else expirence this or have any knowledge they can share with me?

thanks