Low Bat and sasakyan mo tips

[nandix]

My 1st encounter was last month nang mag low bat ang KIA Pride GTX sedan ko.What i mean low bat is that yung lahat nang mga electrical accessories ay ayaw nang gumana, like stereo nag off/on during habang nagmamaneho ako.Then my front power windows are slowly moving hindi gaya nang dati,then my headlights and fog lights went dim kasi nangyari to mga 9PM na ng gabi,then all of a sudden I was left with a reving engine na medyo sinisinok kung tinatapakan mo yung gas.Swerte lang nakaabot pa ako sa destination ang problema ay nung pag-uwi kasi na-off ko yung engine dahil I was thinking na i-pa rest lang muna ang sasakyan baka gumana uli lahat but instead ayaw ng mag start,anyway I'm from Cebu,I went to my auntie's para maghatid ng katulong then pa-uwi na ako but minalas nag-low batt.

I check on the battery,by using a wrench kung may spark but masyadong maliit lang yung spark which means it could be lower than 12v or drained.
Hinigpitan ko yung mga terminals ng battery but still ayaw mag start.
All I can hear is a click which means ok yung ignition except kulang ang kuryente para umikot yung starter motor to crank up the engine.
Last resort ko was tulak,cause I suspect that it could be the battery or the alternator could be the culprit.
So pinatulak ko,engage to 2nd gear pushing down clutch then switch ignition ON,then release clutch when already on motion.Thank GOD umandar, I went home all dark walang lights kasi ayaw ng mag charge pabalik yung alternator sa battery,dalawang beses akong tumirik then tulak dahil nawawala na sa timing yung mga spark plugs dahil mahina yung current during combustion.So ginawa ko maintained pressing gas para palaging naka rev yung engine lalo na kung stop or intersection just dont forget the brakes,kasi I observed na dapat laging naka rev para maka generate ng current kahit konti to maintain speed and avoid stalling.

This is the verdict,early morning I took the battery out from its mounting which is my first suspect,I ask my neighbor na paandarin yung vehicle nya para ipalit ko yung drained battery ko to charge it.After few minutes of charging,pinatay ko yung vehicle nya, without removing my batt, the engine started right away.So my battery is still ok.

Next suspect, I checked on my fusebox to see the fuse for the alternator motor.The fuse was ok, 10Amps.I think this is design low current so that it will trip off in case the alternator over charges the battery.

Next, my suspect would be the alternator.I put back my battery newly charged and my engine started right away.But, my electrical devices were all
sucking from the battery without any charging from the alternator.Since the same scenario,all seems to start becoming low batt.

What I did was to bring my car to a shop specializing on alternators.This is what they did.
1)Check battery voltage - battery going down low voltage when amp tester was used.
2)Check the alternator,then have electrical accesories ON.The dial went negative which means there is no charging of battery.When this components are ON the battery will need more current from the alternator and the dial should go positive.
3)Removed the alternator,which only supported by two bolts 1 from the mounting the other is for the pivot bolt to accomodate the belt tension.
4)Removed screws to separate the rotor from the brush assy housing.
5)Applied current to rotor shaft where the brush would be aligned, if it gently sticks then it means OK since it should have a electromagnetic force when current is pass through the shaft.
6)Check for any defect on the copper windings,but found none.Since it is still in perfect shape,walang sunog...
7)The last suspect was the IC(integrated circuit) since this is an electronic device which mostly are the main culprit of the alternator during failure.This is compose of an assembly of the IC + the carbon brushes and a plastic housing cylinder. IC driven alternators where replacements of the conventional type alternators those having a voltmeter and amperage rating.IC controls enough current flowing back to the battery which extend the battery life,unlike conventional alts which some overcharges the batt.
8) I bought a replacement part,but unfortunately it only lasted for 1 week then it happened again.The replacement part is like generic,for korean parts but from taiwan na medyo parang pekeng celphone.Lessons learn do not buy replacement parts.

9) I bought an original KIA IC from a reputable automotive shop in Cebu, and it is ok na.

All my headlights,guide lights,fog,hazard,stereo,pwer windows & locks are working fine na.

I hope this could give everybody some points to remember.thanks!

Till next post!

[lakay]

The mechanics did the right stuff. All the symtoms that you mentioned pointed toward failing alternator. If you have a chance, let your mechanics know that you appreciate that they corrected what is wrong with your car, its goes a long way in stablishing good relationship with a good mechanic.

[KrisKros]

Looks like they did a good job. Starting with the basic common problems and onward. How much did it all cost you?

[nandix]

*lakay

Yup, I did thank them since their owner Mang Dario was very experienced and always make sure that their services are in good quality.He even slash the labor cost down to 50% during my 2nd replacement(using original KIA IC) kasi hindi naman back job yun,talagang nag fail lang yung unang replacement kasi kasalanan ko nung una I just bought a replacement part na walang assurance that it would last.

*KrisKros

Actually it cost P680 sa IC (Kia part) tapos P100 lang sa labor.
Anyway I forgot to add na before ikinakabit pabalik yung alt sa car they test it by attaching a belt driven motor to the alt then test it with a bulb.If the bulb lights clearly then it means the problem is fixed.Final testing lang kapag nasa car na mismo.