Sundevil98

A couple,weeks ago, I replaced my water pump on my 2009 XB2 (for the second time, mind you). As part of the replacement, I pulled the alternator to make it easier to install the new pump.

Today, I was on a two hour drive... About 3 miles from home, the red battery light came on. I pulled over, thinking that it was a loose connection at the alternator. Jiggled some wires, started the car, started to drive, and the light went away. Got home, and as I pulled into the driveway, the red battery light came back on... Opened the hood, and checked the battery cables. Negative cable was on tight. The positive cable had some funk. I grabbed some water and baking soda and scrubbed the funk off of the positive cable.

Started car about twenty minutes later, went for a ride... Light on, would go off, then come back on. At one point, it seemed like it would come back on when idling, and go off when driving, but no real rhyme or reason.

Drove around about fifteen minutes, thinking I would make it home. Out of no where, the red brake light came on, VSC light was on, air bag light was on (though, it's been on for some time as I beliebve the passenger seat sensor went defective - the air bag off light hasn't worked for a while), other lights were on too... I can't remember which ones exactly.

When the lights came on, I also lost power steering. I pulled off the main road, and pulled my phone out to take a picture of the dash... Earlier, my phone was charged to near full capacity. I had it plugged in the charger, and when I turned it on, it was about 15% (lost about 85% capacity in 30ish minutes of driving.

By the time my camera came on, the headlights went out, error lights flashed on, off in a weird pattern, I tried to gas the car, and nothing reacted normally. About five seconds later, the car died. Being 11:30 on New Year's Eve, I left it there and took a bus to a bar where I got a drink, then walked home.

Might a faulty alternator cause this trouble? Or is something else likely the culprit? could it be that the funk on the positive side of the battery terminal has corroded the power harness as well? Any other ideas???

Going to go back and pull the alternator in the morning. Hopefully, I can get it tested on New Year's Day. Thankfully, there's an AutoZone near by.

It seems like the battery wasn't getting a constant charge, and could have caused the batt light to go in and out. Could explain why the battery on my phone lost charge too (maybe?). Just curious to know if all those lights come on like that at some sort of critical voltage loss???

Any help is appreciated.

javio24

I had an alternator issue where the check engine light and battery light came on to indicate that it was bad/faulty.

I also had the new one fail on me mid intersection and I had to swap it out in a parking lot after just having replaced it earlier that week lol.

I'd start there, pull it off get a new one on there and have your old one tested to see if it is bad.

Sundevil98

Tested battery, it was shot (less than a year old). I thought maybe the alternator might have been the culprit. Pulled it out, tested it, and it was bad as well.

Everything running normally thus far.

javio24

Good to hear that you got it sorted out.