I recently bought a used 2003 Pathy and I'm experiencing some issues with the electrical system. I was driving it home a few weeks ago at night and after about 45 minutes, the electrical system started going haywire, symptomatic of an alternator problem; dash lights starting going crazy, and most alarming, accelerator pedal was no longer making the engine rev, engine was basically idling. I was on the highway at the time, so it scared the bejeesus out of me. I was putting a lot of strain on the electrical system at the time, heat, electric seat heater, headlights, radio. I was able to nurse it home after pulling over, hooking up an emergency start portable battery, and sitting in the Pathy with all electrical stuff turned off, slightly revving for 15 minutes.
Hoping it wasn't the alternator (dealer quoted $500+ for a new one including labor), I put in a new battery and hooked up voltmeter. Old battery was 11.5 volts standing, new battery was pushing out about 13 volts, and when I started the Pathy and turned on heat/lights/radio, was getting 14+ volts. So I figured maybe it was a fluke and the alternator was working properly.
Unfortunately, it happened again last night. The Pathy is in otherwise great condition, with only 17k miles on it (was owned by a student who barely drove it).
I don't know why the alternator would die with only 17k miles on it. I don't drive it that frequently (take mass transit to work), so it only gets driven once or twice a week, and then usually around the city (15 - 20 minutes per trip).
I'm hoping it's not some hard-to-troubleshoot electrical short, but dropping $500+ on a new alternator sounds like my only recourse at this point.
Anyone got any advice for me? Any help would be greatly apprectiated.
You can get a remanned alternator for $191 at Rockauto.com. Local parts stores will have alternatives as well. You don't HAVE to buy one from the dealership.
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Alternators can be easy to install, all you have to do is be able to lay on ur back (if you dont have a lift or risers) and use a socket wrench pretty much. I installed a high output alternator (200amps) that only cost me $300 (with warranty)- i installed it without having any past experience. :/
I'd go with the easy stuff first....make sure ALL connections to alternator as well as chassis grounds (usually braided cables in the engine compartment) are clean & tight including directly at the battery connections as well.....
Alternators can be easy to install, all you have to do is be able to lay on ur back (if you dont have a lift or risers) and use a socket wrench pretty much. I installed a high output alternator (200amps) that only cost me $300 (with warranty)- i installed it without having any past experience. :/
"only" $300, wow, who'd have thunk alternators were so pricey. If I do confirm it's the alternator and not any of the connections or chassis grounds, is it better to go with a genuine Nissan replacement or an aftermarket alternator? I saw a few posts on the forums about people getting crappy unreliable aftermarket alternators, and I'd rather avoid the hassle if the Nissan OEM part is better quality than aftermarket.
$300 for a HIGH OUTPUT alternator is good... Maybe you don't understand, stock alternators put out about 60-100 amps @ their peak (pending on what car u have)
thanks for the advice, i've got a good friend who's a mechanic and we're going to check it out this weekend.
is it at all unusual for an alternator to fail after only 3 years of very light usage?
It can happen but it's more likely to happen because of a bad battery. Judging from your description of how much use the vehicle gets ( and has gotten ) the battery that you replaced ( unclear if it's the original ) probably hadn't been well maintained.
An important part is regular charging to maintain the integrity of the electrolyte and the lead plates. By allowing an auto battery to discharge for periods of time will greatly reduce the storage capacity. These types of batteries do not recover well from discharging ( especially deep cycle ) they are designed for short cycles with regulator charging. What this means is if a battery becomes defective ( doesn't hold a charge or shorted cells ) puts a strain on the alternator that could shorten the life of the alternator.
The alternator for your vehicle is rated for 110amps (nominal not peak ) and likely a Mitsubishi make. When you refer to "aftermarket" I'm wondering if you mean rebuilds ? There are different quality rebuilds :
economy - up to 1 year warranty
premium - up to 3 year warranty
There are new aftermarket units made by Hitachi that have premium warranty.
Now to say if this is the cause of the electrical problem ... hopefully.
Has it only happened when the electrical system is loaded down as you mentioned ?
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