Two days ago, both the battery and brake dashboard warning lights on my 95 200SX SE-R lit up permanently. The next day, my car died, luckily at 5 MPH right before I parked, and it wouldn't start after that. I replaced my 5-year-old battery since I figured it might be the culprit, but both dashboard lights are still lit! Does the battery light mean I need a new alternator, or can there be another explanation? And what's with the brake light? My fluid level is fine and my parking brake is off. Help!
yes i asked this question just about a week ago and ga16tosr20 informed me this happened to his 200sx and his alternator died 2 days later... Sure enough 2 days after those lights came on on my dash (battery and brake) my alternator died. Luckily I was actually pulling in to pepboys.. I would definately get that alternator checked. its like 20 bucks at pepboys.
I asked my mechanic, and he said that the battery
light came on because my charging system, aka alternator, is screwed; the
BRAKE light is simply interconnected. Fix the alternator and they both go
away. Supposedly, Mazda makes it so that a screwed alternator lights up the
whole strip on the dash. This familiar to anyone?
Anyway, he looked under my hood and said there's so much crap in the way
that it would "probably cost $300-$350" which sounds like a ripoff. What's
typical? Is the alternator one of things rookies should never do
themselves?
My car has 88,600 miles, and he said that's typical of when alternators
fail. That true? Rumor has it that they fail early on Japanese cars.
ouch, $350? Uhh..yeah, ask him if you have to supply the vaseline or if it comes with that price. Our engine bays are very crowded but the alternator itself is only about $80ish at most (just guessing since upgraded alternators can be low $100's for stereo freaks so easily could be off). But still, even if the alternator cost $150 that's $200 in labor, lol. Anyway, if you're mechanically adept enough, just buy the part and install it yourself...just make sure you disconnect the battery first unless you want a new permanent hairdo :P
How early they fail depends on a number of things though, if you overdrive your electrical system with a huge stereo, tons of lights and things like that, it could wear it down a little faster but the only car I've ever had a alternator fail on under 100k miles was an old Escort I had in highschool...but that was a Ford so it's understandable, hehe.
i went to PEPBOYS (only b/c I had no other option, and no way to get an alternator) and only paid $218 and was out w/ in the hour. So yea $350, I would definately fire that mechanic before he got started. -- Plus at pepboys they gave me a lifetime warranty -- so not too shabby if you ask me...
As far as doing it your self.. get a HAYNES manual.... Then look at what it will take to do it yourself and then decide what you think would be best....
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