[xbubbat40x]

usually your car idles around 1000 RPM....well whenever i start to slow down to come to a stop my headlights and ash lights start to dim...and my RPMs will go 500 and below...and sometimes when i come to a complete stop my car dies and shuts off...i wasn't sure if this was a battery or alternator problem anyone have any ideas?

 

[scott0999]

how old is the battery

 

[xbubbat40x]

A year and a half maybe somewhere in there

 

[seanski]

i don't think the problem is the alt or battery, the car shouldnt be idling at 500 rpm, thats probably why the dash lights are dimming becuase the alt isnt turning fast enough, as for the car stalling, does it start right back up again and when you put it in drive does it stall?? might be the lockup solenoid, other wise check your IAC and make sure all the vacuum lines are hooked up properly and you have no vacuum leaks

 

[neurot1k]

I have this same problem in my manual 89Z.

It didn't used to be as bad, but the last few days I can barely clutch long enough to downshift before the RPMs drop to below 500 & then die. Even when traveling 75mph on the interstate and clutching around turns, it will go from around 2000-2500 to 500 in a second and within one more second the battery will die.

No idea how old any of the parts are, bought it a couple months ago from a guy in the town over, my first car. He seemed pretty trustworthy though. I drive 18 miles to & from work every day in it, and not being able to shift or brake or idle for longer than a second or two is a pain, to say the least. I was about to go to the salvage yard in a day or two & get a new alternator, everyone I've explained the problem to has said that's what it is, but thought I'd ask on here too.

Thing is it doesn't happen 100% of the time. Usually it's fine for the first 5 minutes of driving, but after that it drops RPMs faster and faster each time I press the clutch until it takes a fraction of a second to hit 500.

Sometimes when starting the RPMs rev a bit like usual, then drop to 1000, then will rev up to almost 3000 and hold for a second before dropping back to idle at 1000 before I put it in gear and pull out.

Also, sometimes my dome light doesn't come on when the driver's door is opened, but sometimes it does. Always works with the passenger door. And once in a while when I crank the ignition absolutely nothing happens. No noise, movement, nothing. I wait a little then try again & eventually it works, but all of the EQ settings and the clock on my head unit are reset every time. I figured this was the starter.. s'what some people have told me too.

Any ideas?

 

[lilredz24]

it sounds as if you have a weak alternator and it cant keep up so you are actually running on the battery mostly until the battery gets drained so much that the car doesnt have enough power to keep it running. what you could do is while the car is running disconect the battery and if the car dies or slowly dies your alternator is weak or bad. Because if you have a good alternator the car should stay running just fine with out having the battery. you only use the battery to start the car after that the alternator is suppose to take over.

 

[derekbogie]

ive actually seen people mix up the alternator wires and it caused those exact same problems.. if nothing else look at your wiring to the alternator.

 

[macneil]

I was gonna say when my alt died all my gauges started trippin out and then my car died because it just didn't charge anymore, I had no clue it was gettig weak til I was almost at the gas station and I barely made it back home, hopefully all turns out good for you

 

[pmk138]

I was having a problem with my battery dying and I discussed it with some of you. I ended up getting another alternator and I thought that solved the problem. Then yesterday when I went to start my car up, there were no lights or anything. I jacked up the front end and starting moving wires around and I found a bad connection at the starter. THe ground wire coming from the battery to the started was not tight.