1992-1999 Series I L27 (1992-1994 SE,SLE, SSE) & Series II L36 (1995-1999 SE, SSE, SLE) and common problems for the Series I and II L67 (all supercharged models 92-99) Including Olds 88's, Olds LSS's and Buick Lesabres Please use General Chat for non-mechanical issues, and Performance and Brainstorming for improvements.

Serious Problems...!

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Old 06-26-2004, 12:08 PM
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Default Serious Problems...!

Here is the problem, when i start my car, the amp gage reads almost in the red, but after a few seconds you can hear the alternator kick on and it raises slowly to the 14 mark. Then i put it into gear and it falls back down into the red and the check gauges light on the little car comes on. When i take off down the road the check gauges light goes off and everything looks and works fine.

This was the case up until last night. I had to work a charity event at the local school, where i'm employed until midnight. I get in my car and start it, turn on my lights, the driving lights underneath are on too, my stereo is on and the defroster. The gauge never gets out of the red and the check gauges light stays on. Well i start down the road and no problems, yet. I get about five blocks from my house and i'm sitting at a red light. The gauge falls completely to the last line and the lights dim so much i might as well have not had them on. So i start turning off the stereo, driving lights and defroster and the gauge never comes back up. Then i take off to go under the red light and my ABS and Check Engine Light comes on and i have no power hardly to move.

So maybe one of you guys can help me?
Old 06-26-2004, 12:50 PM
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Get that alternator and battery checked asap. And if either one is bad, replace them both.
Old 06-26-2004, 01:21 PM
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I just took both of them up the road to o'reilly'* and down the road to autozone and both places said that the battery and alternator is good.

So i don't know, is there anything else i can check?
Old 06-26-2004, 02:05 PM
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Battery cables at both ends would be the next place I'd go. Even if they look good, pull them off and clean them with wire brushes, including mating surfaces.
Old 06-26-2004, 03:02 PM
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Hows your serp belt? Is it Glassy or Cracked?
Old 06-26-2004, 06:30 PM
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okay the cables and belt look okay. I think it may be the way they connect together. So the only place i can get them is a dealer and they want over a hundred dollars for the set. So I may have to fab some.
Old 06-27-2004, 12:56 AM
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replaced the battery cables and it is still messing up. so i got out and purchase a multimeter to read the voltage coming across the alternator and battery, well come to find out after just being told that the alternator was good by two places, i found out it wasnt working, so i go and replace it at a local parts house(Lifetime Warranty ) and now the car is running better than ever.
Old 06-27-2004, 01:28 AM
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If your battery is more than a year or two old, that bad alternator stressed it badly. They have a habit of dying soon after the alternator. The problem with this is that if the battery is weak, it'll overwork your new alternator, it'll heat up, and the rear bearing will fail.

Seriously consider replacing the battery soon to protect the alternator. Or at the very least, keep a sharp eye on the voltmeter.
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