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Charging system failure? Is this battery or alternator? Is it easy to change alternat

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bjornbjorn

New member
I was driving the on the highway and I got the message "charging system failure" Is this the Alternator or Battery. I phoned the shop I usually deal with and they said they would have to do a diagnostic to be able to tell the problem but they said it was more than likely the Alternator. If it is the Alternator how easy is it to switch it out and how long will it take approx. Does anyone have any instructions on how to do this? Any help would be much appreciated. 2004 Grand Prix with 180,000 kms
 


I just replaced the battery when that happened to me and it worked.
...but mine wasnt when driving.
 
My girls 06 does this because the wire clamps on the battery are loose. Check to make sure those tight, I have to replace hers. Also check for corrosion on the battery since that will cause a bad connection.
 
If it is the alt. that's to easy, did mine in the parking lot of vato zone in under 15 mins. Took me longer to set the audio on the radio LOL. It should just be three bolts and the wiring then the belt. Just search the how to section.
 
what i would do is the same thing as your shop is going to. test the battery, and test the alt power at the battery while its running. replace which ever one is failing. look at the date on your battery it could out of time on its months as well.
 
TexasTanker19kilo20 said:
If it is the alt. that's to easy, did mine in the parking lot of vato zone in under 15 mins. Took me longer to set the audio on the radio LOL. It should just be three bolts and the wiring then the belt. Just search the how to section.
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i did 3 alternators in 3 days in 2 different autozone lots, due to bad alternators for my 03 gmc.(15 minute job tops) they all tested good to, but my truck kept saying overcharging.
 


Well knock on wood cause this one has held up. The old alt bearings were so shot when I pulled it off the thing hardly spun. It's an easy fix though, f**k paying a shop to do what can be done yourself.
 
I just replaced the battery when that happened to me and it worked.
...but mine wasnt when driving.
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i hope not but i give your battery a year and it'll start dying again. all you did is put a brand new battery in there that holds a really really good charge. but when the alternator goes to complete sh!t it wont charge that brand new battery anymore.

the alternator is very easy to do. based on this thread i'm assuming that you dont do many repairs and/or have a lot of tools? so your hardest part would probably be getting to the tensioner. once you get the belt off those 3 bolts and one wire on the back is nothing. when you do it just remember to remove the negative battery cable but like mentioned before you should definately make sure you dont have corrosion build up.
 
I've gotten that message 3 or 4 times since I've owned the car... (3 years or so)

Each time I just disconnect and reconnect the battery and problem solved. Last time I had some weirdness with the coolant temp sensor, but after sitting overnight it cleared itself up.

Seems to always happen to me when it's wet out, but yeah I've had it multiple times and both my battery and alternator are strong.

The fact that it sat overnight and went back to normal kinda makes me think water got somewhere that made the car unhapy.
 
^^^ you have ford parts on your car? lol

remember the good old days when a ford would just not run solely because it was raining out?
 
bps02gtp said:
i hope not but i give your battery a year and it'll start dying again. all you did is put a brand new battery in there that holds a really really good charge. but when the alternator goes to complete sh!t it wont charge that brand new battery anymore.
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Nah...you'll know pretty soon after. That was the first thing I tried when my charging system light came on. After replacing the battery, the charging system light stayed on and the car shut off after driving for 20 minutes. It was my alternator. I actually went through 3 alts in 1 month. The first one lasted 3 weeks, then the charging system light came on. Then next 2 lasted a few days each. The fourth one has been on for a few years. Moral of this lame story is: If you buy an alternator, make sure the sticker on it doesnt say "remanufactured in Mexico". The first three I bought did. The last one I bought was remanied in the US. Just a coincidence? Maybe.
 


Check the wiring clip that goes to the alternator as well, I left mine loose once and it caused the same message.

Also check grounds if you can't find another solution.
 
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