I have a 1996 Mazda Millennium that the battery would always go dead on me if it sat for a couple of days. Had battery checked and charged, and it checked good. So i changed the alternator and the light is still on. What do you think is wrong?|||If the light is still on you still have a problem. Have your charging system checked at almost any auto parts store. Unless the new alternator is faulty its probably the battery.|||The battery light is discharging you battery.|||Possibly you have already bought an alternator you didn%26#039;t need! So it is time you tried to find out what is wrong!
You can take car and have charging system checked free at WalMart, AutoZone, and lots of other auto parts places! you should have had the old alternator checked,-- before you bought a new one (but too late for that now)!
Try disconnecting one of battery cables (for a few days)-and see if battery goes dead -- if it stays %26quot;up%26quot; obviously the battery must be good --- note that I have seen batterys that checked good, - but still went dead within a week!
Try connecting battery cable in dark, if you see more than a %26quot;small spark%26quot;, you have something in vehicle causing battery to drain! Even perfect alternator will not keep a battery up, - if a heavy enough drain on battery to run it down! If you have an old headlingt around, hook a couple wires 2-3 feet long to the good filiament on it, - and disconnect one battery cable, hook wires on to cable and battery terminal, - if there is enough %26quot;drain%26quot; available to make that light come on bright enough to see it burning in daylight, - it is drawing enough somewhere to run battery down in a couple days (or less)! You can start removing fuses and checking to see if things turned off, (put headlight where you can see it easily), -- when the light goes out,- you have found the circuit that is causing problem! Don%26#039;t forget that %26quot;courtesy light%26quot; is on when door open, so you might want to push button on switch in , - or put duct tape over it to keep switch turned off! This works just as well as a meter, - and you don%26#039;t have to %26quot;strain%26quot; to see needle!---- Also it is good for finding shorts in circuits, as you just put it in fusaebox connections for fuse that keeps blowing. When you find short (and remove it even momentarily), - the light will blink, --or go out when short removed! Such as wire shorting on frame, - move wire a little and it goes out, move a little and it goes back on, -- you can work down to point of contact, find and insulate so it doesn%26#039;t %26quot;short%26quot; anymore! So you have a %26quot;cheap test instrument%26quot;,- that is worth putting up for %26quot;next time%26quot;!
Now about the %26quot;new alternator%26quot;, - just because it is new, doesn%26#039;t mean it is any good! I have seen lots of %26quot;new%26quot; and %26quot;rebuilt%26quot; parts (taken right from box) that were no good!
I am assuming that all the wires are hooked up right, and the wires on plugs are good ( sometiomes wire %26quot;fatigue%26quot; fractures,- right at connectin on terminal, and is not connecting, - just being held on by insulation! Of course the %26quot;check at %26quot;auto parts or WalMart stores %26quot;should have shown%26quot; that,--- and this is why you have it checked on vehicle. Even if alternator and battery good, the circuitry still has to be good for them to work properly!|||Check the Red Wire from the Alternator for the Fusable Link being bad, also Grounds at Starter to Block, Alternator to Block %26amp; Block Strap to Firewall. Are your belts and Tensioner good?|||I am not a fan of autozone but at least you can go to the experts there and get a free charging system analysis done, just remember to tip the dude 5 bucks for his time. This test costs you nothing and it tests the battery, alternator, and starter.|||the battery %26#039;ground to body%26#039; wire or connection might be bad .|||the battery maybe who check it... who check the alternator if one is guessing at whats wrong you might end up spending more than is needed... belts tight battery cable clean and tight how old is it more than 3 yrs good chance it the battery
