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From: ronc@fai.UUCP (ronc)
Newsgroups: net.auto.tech
Subject: Re: Car Battery Problem?
Message-ID: <36@fai.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 23-Dec-85 21:07:34 EST
Article-I.D.: fai.36
Posted: Mon Dec 23 21:07:34 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Dec-85 00:18:34 EST
References: <411@mhuxl.UUCP>
Reply-To: ronc@fai.UUCP ()
Organization: Fujitsu America, Inc., San Jose, CA
Lines: 31

>My 1983 Datsun MAXIMA's battery (30 months old, 26400 miles) has gone dead
>twice within the past 3 weeks....
>...There is a
>voltmeter on the dash rather than an idiot light.  It shows that the battery is
>being charged OK.  I had the charging system checked anyway and it's OK.
>
>Does this sound like a bad battery problem or something more subtle?
>  
>                                               Rick Nelson
>                                               mhuxl!david1

****
You might keep an eye on the voltmeter at night when you have a
lot of things turned on.  Could be you need a new alternator belt.
The belt is turning the alternator during light loads, but when the
load gets heavy and the alternator gets harder to turn, the belt
starts slipping, and you start eating the battery.  Happened to me.
Took it in twice to have the charging system checked, but nothing
wrong.  Except once every 2 or 3 weeks the battery would go dead.
(This is a Pontiac we're talking about, if it makes any difference.)
I finally changed the belt and cinched it tight, and after 6 weeks
didn't have a recurrance of the problem.  A cheap fix.  Try it.

				Ron
-- 
--
		Ronald O. Christian (Fujitsu America Inc., San Jose, Calf.)
		ihnp4!{pesnta,qubix}!wjvax!fai!ronc

Oliver's law of assumed responsibility:
	"If you are seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it."