smokedmustang

iTrader: (7)

No it didn't happen to me, but I can tell you when your alternator goes out, mine has "almost" gone out 5 times. Here is what happens:

The battery light goes on so does the brake light. In the day light, you can barely see the lights illuminated on the dash. I say this, because I have a AEM UEGO A/F gauge on my dash, and I can see what is happening. This is for those of you who dont have the gauge, and you see the lights ON. The car will run ok, and you dont know you have a problem. The UEGO gauge says different!!!

I step on the gas, and noticed instead of the car "richening" up, it gets LEANER!!! At cruising air/fuel is 15ish, when I step on the gas, it goes down to 13, then immediatley up to 16+!!!! When it gets to 17 on the guage, the car "stumbles". Again, if I didn't have the gauge, I wouldn't know whats going on. I have been told, the alternators have INTERNAL voltage regulators, and they go bad around 70K miles, just where I am at.

When the alternator goes "half-bad":
There is NOT enough voltage to get to the injectors, and give them adequate "squirt". this could lead to a LEAN- KABOOOOOM!! Condition. Just beware, this is a public service message for you again. If I didn't have the guage, I would have blown up!! Again, it runs fine, you cant see the lights illuminated in the day time, I couldn't, as they were "faint-on!!"

The first time It happened, I was on my way to michigan, and it ran fine, as long as I stayed off the throttle. I stared at the A/F Gauge all the way.

Again, mine was ON to and from michigan, The lights were OFF for a few weeks, then, yesterday, they were ON again. its wierd. it checked out FINE at the dealership yesterday, lights were OFF. I drove the car home, and they came on again.

I put a NEW one on today.

Erik@MIL.SPEC

iTrader: (94)

Did it boost cut on you, or just stumble?

spudlus

iTrader: (1)

The rectification plate in the alternator may be breaking down.

fromWRXtoEVO

iTrader: (18)

WOW, interesting review. I did not bother to check my Evo alternator but I can tell you a similar issue I had for years which could lead to the same issue.


In two on my 1st gen GSXs the two power steering lines use to leak. Due to the location of the power steering pump(above the alternator) the leaking power steering fluid use to drip down by inertia and use to fall over the alternator.

Eventually the alternator got so dirty and oily that often I had the battery light on. Eventually it drained my battery and my car got to the point where turning the turn signal would cause the engine to die instantly.

This happened to me twice. It cost me two alternators and a battery before I decided to go to a junk yard and get a pair of use power steering lines.

I see similarities on my history, definately I back you up on your history.

Carlos

smokedmustang

iTrader: (7)

once I see the AFR's LEANING out, I am OUT of the gas, so I really can't tell about any boost cut. I notice it when I was driving at 65 MPH, the afr's were where they should be, (15ish)but when I step gently on the gas, as if to pass someone, that is when the AFR's go LEAN, and then the "stumble". when I "hit the wall", the afr's are pegged LEAN. I was easy on it, just an observation I made. It is the fact that the "battery" is running my stuff, and there is NOT enough voltage to feed the injectors at their proper duty cycle. hence the lean condition. Again, at the dealership, the Alternator checked out fine. it was intermittent for sure.

kjewer1

iTrader: (4)

Usually the ignition is the first thing to crap out when voltage drops. There is a good chance you are getting misfire (or complete failure of the ignition system), which of course reads lean on WBO2s (any misfire shows up as a lean spike on the wideband, and narrow band too, if it's real bad). There is also a chance that the WBO2 is no longer accurate without the proper voltage to the sensor and the heater. Not trying to say anything here, just thinking out loud...

sonicnofadz

iTrader: (4)

+1 This is exactly what I was thinking

jbrown

iTrader: (17)

don't forget that our cars have dual voltage fuel pumps. They run at a lower voltage while cruising and kick up to a higher voltage at WOT or above a certain rpm.

*edit* what I'm saying is that if the voltage is dropping, the fuel pump is running slower too! */edit*

smokedmustang

iTrader: (7)

I thought it was my gauge also, but if it was the gauge, what explains the car sputtering and "hitting a wall" once the gauge hits LEAN condition. there is no misfire when I am driving it. It "sounds" wierd and "feels" wierd as it is Leaning out. If it were just the voltage to the gauge, when I step on the gas to pass someone, I should still be able to pass them, no? Interesting points though. I don't know which it is, just that it IS.

smokedmustang

iTrader: (7)

This makes sence. Thanks for this info kjewer1

althemean

iTrader: (5)

are you saying detonation will show up as a lean condition on a WB?

smokedmustang

iTrader: (7)

Who's question? I didn't get any detonation, and I have a side pipe out my window, so I would hear the "marbles in a can" sound of detonation. It just doesn't want to go anywhere when I give it gas, when the alternator is messing up. and up to the time of the LEAN condition, it drives FINE. When it falls on its face, I look at the A/F gauge, and it is pegged at LEAN, and the car just wont go. weather its the gauge loosing electricity, or the car in general is loosing ignition, or what, It only happens at cruising speeds, (not WOT, wouldn't try that) when "passing someone", only when my alternator/battery light is on( again half/illuminated, almost have to squint to see that they are on. Lights off, as it has happened a couple times, NO PROBLEMS, not even at WOT.

I went to Michigan, the light was on, had to drive carefully. Got home, lights OFF for 3 weeks strait. went to Georgia from Indy, NO LIGHTS. got tuned at dyno4mance, no problems. Came home 2 weeks, then the lights came back on. It was wierd and intermittent. I have swapped mine out with a friends 03 evo, and No more lights on my dash!!! But they ARE on in his car. so it is definetly the alternator.

BigAeVo

iTrader: (13)

At what mileage did you change your alternator at?

Cajun Power

iTrader: (3)

OK, mine just went out too. Same conditions Battery and Brake light came on. Alternator was only putting out 6 amps. When it should be >30. I ordered a new one. I took the old one out and noticed that out of the 4 bolts that hold the housing together 3 were gone and one was only two threads in.

I had issues with my dipstick popping up under high boost and it looks like oil got on the alternator and it just fell apart. I will thread-lock the bolts on the new alternator and fix my dipstick issues (new PCV valve / secure dip stick down).

55k miles no boom boom stereo.

bbbwrx

iTrader: (10)

The stock ecu takes in account voltage to adjust the injector on time if the voltage is low. You are using the XEDE so you do not have this feature(that I know of), if you had a UTEC you wouldn't have this feature either.