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2000 Frontier - Recurring alternator issues

1K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  lionshooter 
#1 ·
I have a 4-cyl 2000 Frontier with 169K miles, in which the Brake / Battery dash lights sporadically, but recurrently come on. At first they might not appear at all unless damp and cold, or they might come on and go out after 2-3 minutes running time. Once they go out, the wipers, lights, etc. have performed as normal.

This first started in late 2013; in Feb 2014, the alternator was replaced and things seemed resolved... until this winter, when they resumed. And since yesterday, the Brake/Battery lights stay on and Check Engine Soon is now on as well.

I am no motorhead, just trying to figure this out. Did I get screwed with a faulty replacement alternator last winter? Could there be a belt tension issue or something equally simple to fix, or am I staring at $$$ to resolve?
 
#2 ·
I've got a '98 and 2004 Frontier with same engine. It's pretty straightforward to check/slightly tighten the alternator belt, you don't need to remove any belts to do this, so that's what I'd do first. Remove the plastic under-engine cover (six hex-head screws, 10mm socket) and you'll need 12mm and 14mm wrenches for the belt loosening/adjustment/retightening.

I'd also take off my battery terminals and clean them and the cable ends real well. I believe leaving the cables off for 15 minutes, or toughing both cables together while not connected to the battery can clear the trouble codes.
 
#3 ·
I doubt the problem is the alternator. My 2000 is doing the exact same thing. Pulled the alternator and it tested good at 2 shops. One shop told me that a recurring problem with this model is crud build up in the connectors from the batt/fuse block to the firewall. I cleaned them and the problem went away. Yesterday the problem came back. Maybe I didn't clean them well enough?
 
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