To determine if it's the battery or the alternator, might I suggest
disconnecting the battery, and jumping the car? The car should run on
just the alternator (been there, done that), so if it runs better, then
your battery is somehow grounding out or just bad. If the car runs the
same (badly), it could be the alternator (or anything else that can make a
car run badly. Others on the list have suggested that running the
alternator without a battery can damage it, so don't do this for long, or
maybe leave the other car connected?
Hope this helps,
Tom, '60 MGA 1600
On Wed, 16 Jul 1997, David Moore wrote:
> My car had been running real well until Monday Morning. Only possible
> leading indicator was a slight glow of the dashlight at night.
>
> However the car now has mutiple simptoms.
>
> 1) won't idle at all.
> 2) Batteries won't hold a charge
>
> Car had been professionally tuned and smogged within last 30 days.
>
> Don't know what to think.
>
> If I leave it on the charger all night it doesn't get below 5 amps on
> the charger guage.
>
> By the end of the day I need a jump to get home!
>
> Any opinions?
>
> Also what is the story with 5 lead alternators and 3 lead alternators.
>
> Thanks,
>
> DCM
> 71 BGT
>
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