[B14_Stealth]

Ok here is the deal, i blew my engine about like 2 weeks ago. I had to car towed and another used engine put in. Now here is the problem... the car was driving fine from the shop to my house, I drove it around like the whole day and at the end of it (at night) i noticed that my lights were dim. I looked at my voltometer gaugue and noticed that the voltage was only about 10v. My other gaugue..the air-fuel was going crazy. I went home and tested the alternator and the battery, only about 9.8v.
At that moment i knew something was wrong plus i could smell something burning from the alternator. I went to a shop and get the alternator replaced and they told me that the old one was fried.
Going home the gauge was indicating 14.1v which was perfect, after like 30 minutes of driving the voltage dropped to 12v. At that moment i started freaking out cause it was a new alternator.
I went back to the shop and they tested it for draws (shorts). They said that my system was the one that caused it. Before the new engine, I've had the same system setup, nothing changed, and it was working fine for 4 months so I can't belive that it might be the problem.
Anyway the mechanic told me to drive around for few days and see if it improves, well it didn't. The car died and had to get a new battery to get the car back to the shop.

My question is... is it possible for the engine itself to drain too much power which might cause the alternator to die?

Ill be picking up the car tomorrow with another new alternator. For at least like a week or 10 days I won't connect the system (I won't connect the power wire going to the battery). If the alternator problem happens again, then I know it was not my system and infact there is something wrong with the engine.
The used engine came with the 6 month warranty but the guy who did just went on vacation and won't be back for the next 10 days

 

[Tavel]

i dont think the engine could do that...perhaps something else? like improper wiring during engine install? but you'd have to have the guy look at it again.

 

[B14_Stealth]

thats a possibility....but i wonder if there is anything else besides the wiring

 

[Tavel]

maybe the coil, but it'd have to be drawing a ton of extra current to kill an alty that fast.

 

[Nismo1997]

Did they put on new belts? Maybe its worn out or then put the belt on too tight.

I would check out the condition of the belt, check over the wiring going/leaving the altinator. How is your connection to the battery?

 

[Nostrodomas]

Also check your ground wire to the block. All the other grounds too....lol

 

[B14_Stealth]

Did they put on new belts? Maybe its worn out or then put the belt on too tight.

I would check out the condition of the belt, check over the wiring going/leaving the altinator. How is your connection to the battery?

yes they did change the belts

 

[B14_Stealth]

Also check your ground wire to the block. All the other grounds too....lol

would bad ground fry an alternator?

 

[B14_Stealth]

so...3 alternators later.. im still having this problem. Im getting sick of driving the car back and forth to the shop so Ill just wait till the mechanic (from another shop) that swapped my engine comes back from vacation and let him have fun with it (6 month warrany, and the car didn't have these problems with the old engine)
Plus..my system this time (with the new alternator that i just got today) wasn't even connected and the alternator dropped charging to like 11.8v in about 30 minutes since i got it. I tested it before i left the shop it was about 14.4v (above 14 non stop) and the mechanics tested it too. Drove it home for about 30 minutes...went to check the charge and same thing as before. I could also smell something burning so there is deffinitely a short.