Okay, I'm having some issues with my Tracer, a '93 LTS. As you all know, 1.8L DOHC 5spd. Driving home last week, the radio started cutting off at idle when I had to stop at intersections, and under acceleration above 5500rpm, the battery light started to come on. then the rpm at idle started moving with the turn signal, then about 20 seconds later the car sputtered to a stop. Turn the key, nothing. Completely dead. come back 2 hours later, the car cranks up like nothing was ever wrong. About 10 mins of driving, same stuff happens. Looks like something electrical!
So, take the alternator out, have it checked out of the car, it's good. Guy says it could be the battery. Normally I would have said BS, batteries don't go bad overnight, but the one in my sisters car just did, so, new battery and terminals, next day, same thing again. make it home, and start running some voltage checks:
First, if the car sits overnight, gets started right up while it's cool, you can take the cables off the battery and it keeps running. Drive it for 15 minutes, get it up to temp, and as soon as you take the cables off, it dies instantly.
Also, the voltage at idle is only about 12.6, and when you rev the motor, the voltage drops and actually starts draining the battery.
So, I check all fuses under the dash and under the hood, and have the alternator (which came from O'reillys earlier in the year) replaced under warranty. Go 3 days before the problem surfaces again. Car seems to run fine, but right at 5500rpm, like a light switch, the battery light suddenly comes on.
I have heard some odd sounds under light throttle load like a bad idler pulley bearing for several weeks now, and the alternator had what looked like black dust all around the pulley when I returned it. Is my harmonic balancer pulley messed up? ECU? Any ideas?
So, take the alternator out, have it checked out of the car, it's good. Guy says it could be the battery. Normally I would have said BS, batteries don't go bad overnight, but the one in my sisters car just did, so, new battery and terminals, next day, same thing again. make it home, and start running some voltage checks:
First, if the car sits overnight, gets started right up while it's cool, you can take the cables off the battery and it keeps running. Drive it for 15 minutes, get it up to temp, and as soon as you take the cables off, it dies instantly.
Also, the voltage at idle is only about 12.6, and when you rev the motor, the voltage drops and actually starts draining the battery.
So, I check all fuses under the dash and under the hood, and have the alternator (which came from O'reillys earlier in the year) replaced under warranty. Go 3 days before the problem surfaces again. Car seems to run fine, but right at 5500rpm, like a light switch, the battery light suddenly comes on.
I have heard some odd sounds under light throttle load like a bad idler pulley bearing for several weeks now, and the alternator had what looked like black dust all around the pulley when I returned it. Is my harmonic balancer pulley messed up? ECU? Any ideas?
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