QuestionQUESTION: This car was jerking down the highway at 60 - 65 mph and just before the exit the battery light comes on. The battery light has been on before a few months back and the car repair shop told me my car repaired itself!?! The fuel pump has been replaced twice, recently a water pump and timing belt was installed. The battery is maybe 2 years old. Spark plugs and alternator has never been changed. It has around 158,000 miles. What possibly could be wrong?
ANSWER: Hi Susan,
Two ideas to consider: get a fault code readout, for free at an Autozone parts store or for about $40 at an independent shop. That will give you some clues. Let me know the specific 4-digit fault code numbers and we can go from there.
If the spark plugs really haven't been changed then that would be the first thing to do. They last up to 100,000 miles, but you have pushed way beyond that limit and this may be causing the "missing" that you are experiencing.
Roland
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QUESTION: Hi Roland,
Thank you for responding. I took it by a repair shop and they told me the alternator was not put enough voltage out. For $368.47 I can get this replaced. Do you have a diagram with steps to do this yourself? I would so greatly appreciate it if you would email me that information to my home email at as quickly as you can. Thank you so much for your time.
Susan
AnswerHi Susan,
Was that alternator diagnosis based upon fault codes, a voltage output measurement, or just your mention of the battery light coming 'on'. If only your mention, then I would believe that a fault code readout/output measurement should be done first. You can probably get the alternator rebuilt at a local alternator/generator/starter shop for about $100 so you can save the rest by removing it yourself. It is quite straight forward, and also that way you will have the original alternator returned to you in new condition. I unfortunately don't have a scanner but can xerox and postal mail you the pages from the manual. I assume you have the 2.5L engine, but if not tell me which one you have. Tell me a postal mailing address. I can get this off in the mail later today.
How about the spark plugs. The "jerking down the highway" might well be due to those being worn out. If the alternator warning light is staying 'on' then I would agree it needs attention, but it probably is not the cause of the engine missing.
Roland
