HELP!! Battery and charge light issue

**Mazda SpeedFeen** · 10-21-10, 15:33

So my charge light started flickering on my way home last night. Would come on and then off and then today on the way to work it was on fully Looked at my battery and it was just spitting out acid. Now in the meantime, i no longer have high beams. They burnt. So I got a new battery and sure enough water starting come out the top of the battery I tested it with an AVR and everything seems to be fine. Now it seems that the water has stopped dripping out and i've been told its possible that straight from manufacturer they may have over-filled it. But now my battery light is still on, and when I revved it, all the lights were super bright and then dimmed back down. Please help...Im at work and have a 45 minute drive home.

Thanks in advance...

Feen

**cheerios165** · 10-21-10, 17:23

Get your alternator tested. Any battery shop should be able to tell you whats wrong for free, or close to it.

**Zach** · 10-21-10, 17:42

Yes, sounds like you're severely over-charging your system.

Take off that alternator and put in a new one while having the current one tested for it's output.

**Mazda SpeedFeen** · 10-21-10, 18:30

The AVR that we have here tests your battery and your alternator. Its perfectly fine. The acid has stopped spewing out and the battery is 100%. The charge light is still on and like I said, i live 45 mins away.....i got to work till midnight---im worried I aint gunna make it there. Its the only light on in the damn dash!

feen

**Zach** · 10-21-10, 19:13

wtf is an AVR?

**NickR** · 10-21-10, 19:29

The voltage regulator on your alternator is very probably malfunctioning, and your alternator is putting out too much voltage. That's why your charge light is on (it's over-charging), and why your high beam bulbs burned out. It's not good to drive like that. You really need to get a multimeter and check the voltage, and if it confirms it's too high, replace the alternator.

If you really have to drive, I would switch on your rear defrost, and any other electrical equipment, to try to soak up some of the voltage. And keep your rpm low.

**Mazda SpeedFeen** · 10-21-10, 20:25

for the second time...lol...the alternator is fine. AVR is short for i dont know. It checks the battery and the alternator. battery is 100% and says the alternator is pushing out 14 volts. sound right to you?

Im getting another alternator from a friend tonight but the car seems to be driving fine, but light still illuminated. We dont have an OBD1 reader here so I cant "clear" the code, but if im not mistaken it should clear itself no? I have to drive home with it the way it is....is there a way that I can figure out if its pushing out more volts then it should? Should I be able to smell something or whatever? I just dont want acid to pour everywheres if that really is the problem..

thanks for all the feedback so far

feen

**Mazda SpeedFeen** · 10-21-10, 20:57

is it possible that something blew in the alternator that would make it work fine but still make the charge light come on?

feen

L.Machida · 10-21-10, 21:33

Unplug the battery hit the brakes make sure all the power is drawn. Let it sit for 10-15 mins plug everything back in & start the car..This may help..

**Mazda SpeedFeen** · 10-21-10, 21:50

Yeah ill try that brake thing. I already unplugged the battery but left it only for mere seconds so maybe that will help. hopefully.

well im off now....hopefully everything works and i can get my ass home.

thanks again peeps.

feen

**NickR** · 10-22-10, 7:14

I know you said you checked the alternator, but I don't believe the results. Maybe it's intermittent. Maybe the "AVR" checked the voltage at idle, and it goes well over 14 volts when the rpms increase.

**josey_gt** · 10-22-10, 18:58

i second nick on this. ive had many things tested including a starter and alternator. they both checked out fine when in fact the starter was toast and all that was working was the solenoid and the alternator had a blown regulator. it was showing 13.2 at the test and it was sky rocketting at high rpm's.

**Mazda SpeedFeen** · 10-24-10, 8:24

yeah the AVR tested while revving as well as at idle and start-up. But the AVR did test wrong because I drove it home, and tested it with a 15$ multimeter and it read 19.4 volts. Seriously? We have this expensive handheld machine and I have a super cheap multimeter? GAY!

Anyways, I bought a alternator from a buddy of mine so Im all good now. Thanks so much for your help guys! I knew there had to have still be a problem if the charge light was still on.

Feen

**josey_gt** · 10-27-10, 14:28

awesome `=D

**Zach** · 11-27-12, 15:57

Bump, because my charge light started flickering this morning and is on now. I've been blowing headlights and foglights like nobody's business since my engine swap (when I put on a new alternator). Measured the voltage this morning at idle, 14.2 and 14.5 when revving. Now it's 14.98 at idle...didn't rev and test voltage.