Guys please help

**bertt23** · 06-15-2008, 06:27 PM

Please any help will be greatly appreciated, im having problems with my car and have no clue what it might be, ive only had the car for 4 days, when i bought the car the dealer installed a new battery and alternator cuz when i test drove it, it died on me and they said that was the problem, that was last weekend, i picked up the car on thursday with "new" battery and alternator, today the alternator went bad again, what do u guys think it could be just a bad alternator or some kinda short somewhere, or do any mods cause this problem, it has a cam and headers dont know if anything else so guys please help, was excited to finally buy my ls1 after 10 yrs, and am starting to wonder if its gonna be a bad choice. i hope not, please help i would really appreciate it, thanks

**Transam388** · 06-16-2008, 09:12 AM

OK, need some more info. Does the car just not start now or will it start with a jump and then die after driving a while? If it starts and then you notice lights dimming and stuff like the blinkers slowing up when used, and of course the volts are going down is normally that the alternator is bad.

Also, if you let it sit for a while does the car start. Reason I ask is that means the drain is happening while running and again would point more to the Alt as the culprit. Heck if the dealer changed the Alt. out just call them and say it is still not working and have them fix it.

Good luck!

**sunsetorangess** · 06-16-2008, 11:05 AM

Yepp like said above but one thing to keep in mind is if the "dealer" instailed and "new alt", it may have been a used part.
J

**bertt23** · 06-16-2008, 03:46 PM

yea guys last night when i went for a cruise i noticed the amps were going down by the time i was a block away from home my blinkers stopped working, just got back from work and tha amps are back up, they replaced the battery also, so im trying to take the alternator out how many bolts is there i took the front one out, and i see 2 on the side but not sure if those to, i already took the belt off to. thanks for your help guys

**bertt23** · 06-16-2008, 06:20 PM

okay here it is i just came back from autozone and guess what? the alternator PASSED, wtf? any suggestions on what the problem might be it has a new battery and the terminal connections were replaced, im lost now i was pretty sure it was the alternator also when i took the car to the track this weekend after i ran it a few times i let it cool down, when i came back to run again it wouldnt start, after a few mins it started like nothing, dont know if this could be any clue to anything thanks for any help

**blk_jaws** · 06-16-2008, 06:28 PM

Take the damn thing back to the dealer and make them fix it, you dont spend as much money as you probably did on a car and have to start fixing things as soon as you drive it off the lot.

Surley they gave you at least a 30 day warrenty.

**Insert** · 06-17-2008, 08:35 AM

yea, i would return to the dealer. but first, maybe check grounds? going from the negative battery terminal. it might be corroded. but i dont see that SLOWLY draining power, it would probably just short power out instantly... but worth a look.

**lvbroham1** · 06-17-2008, 09:09 AM

I would say to check the connector to the alternator for any corrosion or anything fishy. If it looks good, I would take it back to the dealer and have them deal with it.

**0rion** · 06-17-2008, 01:31 PM

any lights on the dash stay on after the car starts? Today after you let it cool down and it wouldn't start what exactly did it do and then what did it do when it did start? Did it turn over the first time and not start or would it not turn over at all and then when it did start was it slow to turn over or did it fire up like nothing was wrong? It could be a host of things and the corroded/loose wire would be up near the top of that list. You say your turn signals didn't work which makes me wonder if you have a corroded socket.
You'll get it running right, it's just a matter of tracking down what's going on with the car. I would definitely talk to the dealership if you got any kind of warranty with the car. They should be more than willing to fix it for you but if they're just throwing alternators and battery's at it without diagnosing the problem I'd wonder what kind of repair shop they have.

**Insert** · 06-17-2008, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

You'll get it running right, it's just a matter of tracking down what's going on with the car. I would definitely talk to the dealership if you got any kind of warranty with the car. They should be more than willing to fix it for you but if they're just throwing alternators and battery's at it without diagnosing the problem I'd wonder what kind of repair shop they have.

IMO, dealers have pretty crappy repair shops for anything bigger than an oil change. They have tools, but they are ill equipped for big repairs, they dont do a lot of work in shop. At my work, approx 60% of our work is dealerships, and there is the reason for hte price mark-up.

**bertt23** · 06-17-2008, 06:15 PM

orion, yesterday when i started it, it started right up like nothing was wrong but i know there is so i took out the alternator and took it to autozone, and it passed the battery is new and the connectors to the battery were changed also when i took the alternator off everything looked real clean, no corrosion, couldnt put the alternator on today cuz it was raining, but checked the fuses and they all looked good the only thing i saw was a blue cable wrapped around a fuse going to the wipers, it was a remote cable going to the back like it had an amp and used that fuse to turn on the amp. im hoping this was the problem if it doesnt rain tomorrow ill install back the alternator. thanks guys i really really appreciate your help. oh and the dealer said i signed the paper where it says "AS IS". morons that place sucks the car sold itself cuz i really liked it, cuz their service sucked.

**buswwa** · 06-17-2008, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by bertt23

orion, yesterday when i started it, it started right up like nothing was wrong but i know there is so i took out the alternator and took it to autozone, and it passed the battery is new and the connectors to the battery were changed also when i took the alternator off everything looked real clean, no corrosion, couldnt put the alternator on today cuz it was raining, but checked the fuses and they all looked good the only thing i saw was a blue cable wrapped around a fuse going to the wipers, it was a remote cable going to the back like it had an amp and used that fuse to turn on the amp. im hoping this was the problem if it doesnt rain tomorrow ill install back the alternator. thanks guys i really really appreciate your help. oh and the dealer said i signed the paper where it says "AS IS". morons that place sucks the car sold itself cuz i really liked it, cuz their service sucked.

Check the local laws.

In CT dealers cannot sell cars as-is. State mandate is 60 days or 3k safety (car must go forward, backward, lights, wipers, windows, horn, seatbelts tires, brakes, etc etc) regardless. Most states do it by price. Look into it and Im sure you can hold them to something.

I highly doubt they can sell it to you as-is.

**bertt23** · 06-17-2008, 07:19 PM

tanks i will look into it, anybody here from tx, know anything

**mark21742** · 06-17-2008, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by bertt23

okay here it is i just came back from autozone and guess what? the alternator PASSED, wtf? any suggestions on what the problem might be it has a new battery and the terminal connections were replaced, im lost now i was pretty sure it was the alternator also when i took the car to the track this weekend after i ran it a few times i let it cool down, when i came back to run again it wouldnt start, after a few mins it started like nothing, dont know if this could be any clue to anything thanks for any help

I had this same problem with the wife's car a few months ago went to autozone and the alt passed...after replacing all the cables and connectors (it did have lots of corrossion) thought I had it fixed and sent her to work.
car died 2 miles from the house. after I picked her up and took her to work I spent way too much time in the pouring rain poping her altenator off, going back to auto zone and having it fail the test.

but if I were you I wouldn't touch it. I'd just take it back to the dealer
good luck man, sorry to hear your having problems but hopefully they will get it fixed for you

**first01SS** · 06-17-2008, 09:12 PM

1. You may want to check the actual voltage when the car is running. If the car's voltage is >13 Volts, the alternator isn't producing enough power to properly operate the vehicle. (you can pick up a voltmeter from WalMart for around 7.00) Also, the regulator (or the regulator circuit) may be the problem. If you've replaced the alternator already, make sure its connected properly, and the wiring isn't corroded in any way (on the alternator connectors.)

2. You may also want to check the battery connectors. If the battery isn't making proper contact, it will never charge properly, which in turn, will cause the car not to start once you turn it off. Also, even if the battery is charged, if the wiring isn't connected well, or corroded, it won't be able to transfer enough current to engage the starter. (also, giving the appearance of a "dead-short" (everything in the car shutting off when you turn the key; everything resetting.)

3. If you turn the key to the start position, and the warning lamps/radio/etc remain on, but the car fails to start, check the "security" lamp, to see if it remains on, or is flashing. if it is, the Pass-Key security system may be malfunctioning, preventing the car from starting.

hope this helps ya....

**mark21742** · 06-17-2008, 11:35 PM

I'm pretty sure even if you bought the car as is, you purchased it with the agreement that they were responsible for fixing the electrical problem....it is not fixed, so the dealer would still be responsible for fixing the problem

**CamaroFan71** · 06-18-2008, 04:43 AM

Yeah I agree. If that car had a pre-existing problem that they said they fixed when you bought it and its still doing it, they have to fix it. They give you any shit mention these words in this exact way......

"well im highly aware you guys tried to fix this problem and failed, this car is unsafe to drive because none of the safey features work so im taking it to a state police saftey check area and have them go over it. When I get their report I'll take it to an attorney and we'll start a lemon-law case against you. Also the BBB will be notified of this as well"

Works every fucking time!!

**first01SS** · 06-18-2008, 05:27 AM

The BBB is the most piss-annie organization that i've ever come across in my life. I'm still in ongoing "riding of the ass" with the BBB for 2,000.00 bucks i was ripped off by a transmission company. That was a year ago. I was told there was a 1 year backlog of complaints...........

As far as the "lemon law", check http://www.carlemon.com/lemons.html to see if your car qualifies for the lemon law. Personally, i think that it won't need to go there.. depending on your feedback from my previous post, i'm sure the issue is minor.

**CamaroFan71** · 06-18-2008, 04:34 PM

The BBB might not actually do anything, but other can people can check on their site and see that the dealership in question is a pile of shit place to buy from.

**mark21742** · 06-18-2008, 08:52 PM

Originally Posted by CamaroFan71

The BBB might not actually do anything, but other can people can check on their site and see that the dealership in question is a pile of shit place to buy from.

it is amazing how fast bad "word of mouth" experience can hurt a bussiness...hopefully the threat pf it will make them want to right the problem so you can be satisfied