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94 Buick Park Avenue - alternator problems?


spiritdream
10-19-2005, 11:20 AM
For the last month I have been having troubles with my car, it first started when I was an hour drive from home and the light came on and by the time I got about 12 miles from home, the battery was almost dead. My brother-in-law came and jump started me, got it to his house before it was about dead again. We replaced the alternator with a rebuilt one. Worked great for about a week or so and then the light was coming on again and the needle was dipping below the 13 on the panel. Took it back to my brother-in-law and he made sure all the wires were connected tight. Drove it another week and all was fine, then all of a sudden the needle was dipping below the 13 on the gauge again and the lights dimmed way down on the way to work one morning. I then took it into my repair man's shop and he put in a used, but good computer chip, thinking that might be the problem. It worked ok for a few days, but then the needle on the gauge was dipping below the 13 again and the lights dimmed all the way down again. I drove it to my parent's home and exchanged cars with them, my dad drove it that afternoon about 7 miles and he said the needle on the gauge was just above the 13 while he drove it. When I got home after work to pick the car up, it would not start and it was making a buzzing/dinging noise until I turned the ignition key forward, but not on, but when I turned the key back to the position to pull the key out, the buzzing/dinging noise continued. The battery was dead. So we took it back to the repair shop and he replaced the alternator. I got it back yesterday and the needle always starts out at the 15-16 mark on the panel gauge, but after driving it, the needle sinks to just a hair above the 13 and yesterday it sunk way down to about a line or two above the red portion of the gauge below the 13. It basically stayed there all day yesterday, only once did it raise to the 13, but it did not stay there. I am afraid to drive it very far without it dying on me. Something is not working right. The battery is fine, my repair man says he checked all the wiring, and none of that seems to be a problem. Has anyone ever experienced this and what was the problem and what did the vehicle need to get it fixed. I cannot afford to purchase a newer car now....so need to fix this one. Any help you can give would be appreciated!! Thanks!

HotZ28
10-21-2005, 09:55 AM
"We replaced the alternator with a rebuilt one. Worked great for about a week or so and then the light was coming on again and the needle was dipping below the 13 on the panel"

You should have a warranty on the rebuilt unit. If you bought it at Auto Zone, it is likely a bad one!! Take it back!!

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