Alternator not providing power anyone know what it could be?

[djrobinfo]

Okay so a little background info. The car sat for 6 years, partly because I was in college and kept the car at my parents and partly because I wouldn't start. I finally got the car to my house and got a chance to mess with it. After trouble shooting (and charging the battery) for a while I determined that my RPM relay was bad. I ordered a new one and when it came I put it in and the car started up and ran for a couple of seconds then died. I tried to start it again but the battery. The battery being dead was no surprise because I had been trouble shooting and trying to start it a lot before the new relay came and I did not recharge it. So anyway I put a trickle charger on it for a few hours then jump started it with my truck. The Delorean started right up and ran. I let it run still hooked up to my truck for about 5 to 10 minutes then unhooked it. The delorean kept running for about another 5 minutes and then died. So I borrowed a bigger charger from a friend and charged the battery to 100%. Then I started the car. It started right up. But then I tried to drive it and it wasn't getting enough power when I put it in reverse. I had to give it a push to get it moving. It seemed to have more power when I put it in drive but still not as much as it should have. I drove around the block and it would drive but only maybe up to 30 mph. When I drove up a hill it would only go about 5 to 10 mph. As I pulled up to my house the radio died and and about 30 seconds later the car died. But all the lights stayed on. My guess was that the alternator was bad or not working for some reason. So I took the battery out and back on the charger. The charger said the battery only had 40% power left. It have been at 100% before. Then I was really thinking it was the alternator so I took the alternator off and took it to AutoZone and had it tested. To my surprise it passed the test and they said it was good. I am now guessing that I have a bad connection somewhere between the alternator and the battery but I'm not sure where. Or maybe another bad relay or something. I am going to start checking all of the wires and connections from the alternator and see what I can find. If anyone has any ideas or has had this problem before please let me know.

[Jonathan]

Does the battery warning light in the instrument cluster come on? To test, when you put the key in to the ignition and turn to ON, it should light up the battery warning symbol as part of the start-up sequence. If there is no light, there will be no alternator charging. A bulb needs to be in there and functional for the system to work. And it can't be an LED. Easy thing to check without much effort to at least rule that out.

[djrobinfo]

Ok so I just cleaned the connections on the alternator and the wires that connect to it and then put it all back together. With the battery having a full charge I started the car. It started and then sputtered out. I started it again and it ran but not any better than before. I turned on all the lights, the a/c, and radio and let it run. The volt reading on the dash was showing right in between the 8 and 13 volt marks the whole time it was running. I let it run for about 10 or so and then cut it off. I hooked the battery up to the charger and it was at 60% so still the same thing as before. Also I forgot to mention before that the red "brake" light in the dash has been on the whole time but the brake is not engaged.

I will check the battery light next. I did not notice it before but I was not looking for it.]
Thanks

[Jonathan]

Also I forgot to mention before that the red "brake" light in the dash has been on the whole time but the brake is not engaged.

I will check the battery light next. I did not notice it before but I was not looking for it.]
Thanks

The brake light on the dash lighting would not normally be related to the problem with the alternator. It could be, but that would be more in the bizarre realm. The printed circuit can't swap them bulbs like it would if they looked like the connections behind the HVAC panel, and the connector is one big one. Conceivably, some wires are terminated in the connector incorrectly, but that would be very rare.

The brake light will come on with the parking brake (as you mentioned), but it will also come on as part of the sensor on top of the brake reservoir. Refresh my memory, is your car coming out of a rebuild/restoration? Or is it one that's been driven recently over the last few seasons? Do you know if your brake fluid is in good shape and proper level? Have a look at the reservoir through the opening under the trunk carpet and in front of the gas fill spot. Slide that access panel out of the way and tell us what you see (or post a photo). It could be a connection on the switch is bad. The "button" on top is supposed to be a test button, but mine has never worked so that's a bit of a guess.

[djrobinfo]

I didn't figure the brake light had anything to do with the alternator. I just thought I would mention it. The car has never been rebuilt or restored. I have had it for 11 years. I got it when I was in high school and drove it back then. I took it to DMC in houston twice 10 years ago. They changed out the distributor, the fuel accumulator, worked on the cooling system and i can't remember what else. While I was in college the I kept the car at my parents house and there it set until a couple of years after college. Then it sat in my garage for about 6 months. so any way the are had been sitting for probable 5 years with out being started at all. Now that you mention it I do remember now that one time when I was in college and went home to visit I tried to drive the car but the brakes were locked up. I was going to change the fluid the next time I was home but when I went to work on it the brakes were no longer locked up so I never messed with it. So as for the brake light it is probably the fluid.

I will check that battery light now and get back to you.

Thanks

[djrobinfo]

Does the battery warning light in the instrument cluster come on? To test, when you put the key in to the ignition and turn to ON, it should light up the battery warning symbol as part of the start-up sequence. If there is no light, there will be no alternator charging. A bulb needs to be in there and functional for the system to work. And it can't be an LED. Easy thing to check without much effort to at least rule that out.

The battery light did not come on. Not with the just the key on or with the car running. I tried they key in all positions and no battery light. So are you saying that it could possible that the bulb is burnt out and if so it needs a new bulb for the system to make the alternator charge the battery?

[David T]

The battery light did not come on. Not with the just the key on or with the car running. I tried they key in all positions and no battery light. So are you saying that it could possible that the bulb is burnt out and if so it needs a new bulb for the system to make the alternator charge the battery?

The very first thing you need to do is have the battery fully charged and load tested. You cannot properly troubleshoot the charging system till you have a good battery. Low system voltage can be causing the running problems. After 6 years of sitting you probably have brake and clutch problems. That brake light might be on because all of the fluid leaked out. Once you have a good battery then you can see if the alternator is making power. If the battery is too low it can't excite the windings in the alternator. You may also have a problem in the charging system. If you do not see the alternator warning light on when the key is on but the motor is not running, that is a problem. Could be a burnt out bulb, a bad connection somewhere or a bad alternator.
David Teitelbaum

[Ron]

Yes, if it is stock, the battery light has to work before the system will charge. It sounds like a bad bulb or connection to it since other things on the circuit work.

[Jonathan]

Yes, if it is stock, the battery light has to work before the system will charge. It sounds like a bad bulb or connection to it since other things on the circuit work.

^ What he said

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?50...lb-Replacement

Read up on this thread here to replace your bulb. It is on my to-do list as well (not the battery bulb though, my highbeams bulb). Let me know how it goes and then you can teach me something

[djrobinfo]

As I said before, the battery is good and was charged to 100% when I started. Also I had the alternator tested and it is good.

So now I'm hoping it is that bulb. I am going to attempt to pull instrument-cluster and check it out.