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Path: utzoo!utcs!lsuc!pesnta!amdcad!cae780!gordon
From: gordon@cae780.UUCP (Brian Gordon)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Dodge Van alternator failure #2
Message-ID: <866@cae780.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 13-May-85 23:53:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: cae780.866
Posted: Mon May 13 23:53:12 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 14-May-85 05:35:19 EDT
Distribution: na
Organization: CAE Systems, Sunnyvale, CA
Lines: 42

Ok, netlanders, make guesses on this one ...

The vehicle is a 1983 Dodge Maxivan, 3xx V8, automatic everything.  It's main
reason for existence is to tow a big (32') travel trailer on occasional
vacations.

At age three weeks, the battery was dead, and was replaced under warranty.

At age one year, the battery was dead again.  The auto electric shop said the
battery was fine (just discharged), but the electrical/charging system was 
dead.  The dealer said the electrical system was fine, it was just a defective 
battery.  Since neither of them had anything to gain by lying (the electric
shop knew I was going elsewhere for the work under warranty, the dealer would
have gotten the warranty work but not the battery), I took the cheaper
solution first, and bought a new battery -- a Sears Incredicell.  After two
weeks, it was dead.  A second dealer agreed to replace the alternator and 
voltage regulator under the "warranty" -- really a third party insurance 
policy.  There diagnosis was an intermittent failure in the voltage
regulator.  After a week, the battery was dead again, and the second dealer 
replaced the defective (new) voltage regulator.

At age two years (for the van, one year for the replaced parts), the battery 
was dead again -- specifically, it had no reserve capacity, and leaving the 
interior lights on for three hours drained the battery completely.  Sears 
replaced the battery free, no fuss.

Driving home, the ammeter registered flat, instead of the expected fairly
high charge.  Turning anything on (headlights, air-conditioner, etc.) sent
the ammeter to discharge.  The auto electric shop now reports that the 
alternator is dead, and the voltage regulator may be too.

There is no evidence of alternator burnout, nothing appears to have gotten
very hot, as from a runaway voltage regulator causing constant high charging,
there is no visual evidence of a short causing abnormal drain, ...

Two alternator failures in 32,000 miles in two years??  Any guesses?

FROM:   Brian G. Gordon, CAE Systems
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