Caught the bus this morning

[26ounce]

Yes dammit, the Z would not start due to a flat battery. I did not have time to tinker around to find out what was wrong, but I think my alternator has gone out viking funeral style.

Tell me, does this sound like a dead alternator...

The last time out it started OK and revved fine in neutral, but when I put it in drive the engine almost stalled and ran with no power whatsoever. I'm talking 0 to 60 kmh in 1 minute or no pick up at all when going up hill. I nursed it home (I was only 1 km away), then this morning the battery was flat.

Other possibly related symptoms:

The alternator has a yellowy white powder build up on the outside - just noticed it this morning.

One cylinder seems to be notiveably missing at higher revs.

What do you reckon?

[ozlime240z]

A flat battery will make the car miss and not run well as there isn't enough power to charge the coil. It will be more noticable under load (as the spark is harder to create with more fuel in the chamber) or while revving (as the coil has less time to charge).

The battery may be stuffed, highly likely if more than the warranty period old. Batteries generally only last their warranty period + 1 month. So if it's a good battery two years warranty then two years 1 month it will mysteryously die on you. Cheap battery, 12 month warranty, 13 months in it will mysteriously die.

I had a problem a while back where my Z wouldn't charge. All it was was the plug on the back of the alternator that links it to the voltage regulator had come unplugged slightly. A bit of electrolube and push back in and it's fine now. I beleive it's a three pin plug.

OzLime240Z

[26ounce]

Thanks for the quick reply Oz.

The battery is less than 6 months old so chances are it should be OK. I'll certainly check the plug on the alternator when I get home.

[carguyinok]

There is an easy test for your alternator. Start the car the take the positive cable off the batt. if the car stalls out asap then 90% that the alt is bad.

Now this is just a road side testing thing. Nothing set in stone just a easy way to track it fast with little or no tools.

Hope it helps.

[26ounce]

OK, So I replaced the alternator. There was also a problem with the spout attachment that bolts onto the side of the water pump, the thing had corroded to the point where the hose fell off in my hand (not the larger radiator hose but the one that goes off thru the firewall). In the process of decaying the spout was leaking water onto the alternator immediately below it.

Anyway, my Z is still cactus after all that. It idles fine in park and neutral but put it in drive and the engine really labours hard. The revs drop and it will stall repeatedly.

I'm starting to think it is the auto tranny. To anyone familiar with auto boxes I pose the following questions. Will a dying auto box suddenly jam up and be hard to turn thereby stalling the motor in drive? I'm confused because I thought those things were full of torque converters that would not behave that way.

Maybe it is something else, is there any way a poorly tuned Z would display these symptoms?

Still on the bus:disappoin

[2ManyZs]

One way to find out something real quick is to pull the dipstick on the tranny, and if the fluid smells burned, you might possibly have a torque converter that is locked up. Or it could be in the trans itself, but it will at least point you in the right direction. Better yet would be to put the car up on stands, and pull the transmission pan, burned fluid and lots of metal shavings spells trouble.

[26ounce]

I'll check it out 2Many. I've almost convinced myself that it is the transmission. Occassionally after a longer drive I have noticed that transmission fluid burning smell.

Oh well, on the bright side it gives me a chance to install the 5 speed manual sitting in my garage.

[2ManyZs]

If you drain the trans and find a lot of metal shavings, it might be an internal trans problem, perhaps the bands are shot. But if you only find burned fluid, it could possibly be just a torque converter problem. Either way, it sounds like you might have had plans on ditching the auto anyways.....