System Not Charging Battery

I recently replaced the alternator and battery on my 1995 Olds
Silhouette. It doesn't charge the battery. The volt meter in the
dash is at about 8... then drops down to 0 and the car quits.

I've cleaned all the connections, charged the battery again... just
doesn't charge the battery.

BTW... I found this little black box... I'll call it... that the
battery cable attaches to, it's right under, or behind the washer
resevior. It has a bolt with the cable is attached to... maybe a
relay box? Again... all connections are clean and rust free.


Any suggestions is appreciated.

I suggest you pull out that alternator and have it tested before going much
further. If you bought a rebuilt, it could be bad straight out of the box.

Once you KNOW that alternator is capable of working, then you can
troubleshoot the circuits further.



> wrote in message
...
>
>
> I recently replaced the alternator and battery on my 1995 Olds
> Silhouette. It doesn't charge the battery. The volt meter in the
> dash is at about 8... then drops down to 0 and the car quits.
>
> I've cleaned all the connections, charged the battery again... just
> doesn't charge the battery.
>
> BTW... I found this little black box... I'll call it... that the
> battery cable attaches to, it's right under, or behind the washer
> resevior. It has a bolt with the cable is attached to... maybe a
> relay box? Again... all connections are clean and rust free.
>
>
> Any suggestions is appreciated.

the voltage across the battery should be about 13.2 volts when the
engine is shut off. It should be about 15 volts when the engine is
running. you definitely have some sort of problem. Maybe start by
disconnecting the battery, charging it over night and check the
voltages the next day. I think sometimes if the battery is fully
discharged the alternator will not even try.

> wrote in message
...
> the voltage across the battery should be about 13.2 volts when the
> engine is shut off. It should be about 15 volts when the engine is
> running. you definitely have some sort of problem. Maybe start by
> disconnecting the battery, charging it over night and check the
> voltages the next day. I think sometimes if the battery is fully
> discharged the alternator will not even try.

He already cleaned the terminals and charged the battery. But, I agree,
now he needs to do it again before proceeding.

Whatever the OP does, he should work logically and systematically.
Dont start throwing new parts at it. Test, diagnose.

If he has one of those GM original battery cables that has several positive
leads going into the one side connector, he needs to be sure he has taken
that apart and checked/cleaned the INSIDE of that terminal assembly. That
is a common place for bad connections to occur.

The supplier where he bought the alternator should check it out for him for
free. Check it, at any rate.

Go step by step.

> wrote in message
...
>
>
> I recently replaced the alternator and battery on my 1995 Olds
> Silhouette. It doesn't charge the battery. The volt meter in the
> dash is at about 8... then drops down to 0 and the car quits.
>
> I've cleaned all the connections, charged the battery again... just
> doesn't charge the battery.
>
> BTW... I found this little black box... I'll call it... that the
> battery cable attaches to, it's right under, or behind the washer
> resevior. It has a bolt with the cable is attached to... maybe a
> relay box? Again... all connections are clean and rust free.
>
>
> Any suggestions is appreciated.


You may have a blown fuse/fusible link between the batter and alternater. An
easy test, see if you have battery voltage at the alt terminal.

"Mike" > wrote in message news:Vgjzj.5447
> You may have a blown fuse/fusible link between the batter and alternater.
> An easy test, see if you have battery voltage at the alt terminal.

That is a good point to test, but I dont believe there are any fuses or
fusible links
between the battery and the alternator B terminal..

At least, on my GMs there havent been. On my the cable runs directly from
the side terminal of the battery to the (1) alternator, (2) junction box,
and (3) starter. The individual cables are not soldered together inside the
side terminal connector.
And that is where corrosion and bad connections sometimes originate.