Alternator problem on my car?...

[iman501]

So I let my shipmate borrow my car to make a walmart run today, and figured hEd be back in an hour or two, he left around three this afternoon. It's now about 11 and he calls me and says,... so I was driving home from Paris (not where he said he would be) and your car justi died w hen I went to downshift into fourth. He said the lights got dim, and the car bogged down some and died. He can't get it to start and I have no jumper cables in the car and te guy we know that lives nearby has none either. I want to say it sounds like an alternator problem, but am not really sure, what is your guys thoughts?

 

[vance580]

Alternator or accessory belt. You can remove the alternator and have it tested at autozone for free. Thats what it will do though. Your alternator charges your battery and once it stops it sound like he was running your car on just the battery so thats why the lights and the car was bogging down till the battery had no more juice. If it was the battery you would be able to push start it since it sounds like its a stick. Sounds like you shouldnt let him borrow your car ever again if he just lied and joyrode your car all day.

 

[c818919]

I agree with Vance. Check the belt then alternator

 

[iman501]

Alright glad I'm thinking the same as some of you guys!, and yes his driving my car prolegs are gone!, I pitty him bc he lives on base and has no far, so today I let him go to wall mart, well turns out he did that, went to another shipmates house in the same town and spent a few hours there, then drove to a dif town (like 45 min away) to buy some alcohol, so instead of my car dying while I was driving it and would have had a better idea of what happened now it's stuck on the side of the road all night bc I have duty tonight on the boat and nobody has a truck with car trailer that I know.

The guy said he smelt something getting hot/burning right when this problem stared happening. Could that be the alt burning up? Or any other ideas?

Tomorrow I'll have to have a tow truck bring it back to base for me...$$$... And the. Figure out how to get to autozone or someplace to have them test it and maybe buy a new one...which I doubt they have one in stock for my 99 civic SI ...

There goes my plans to go visit the gf tomorrow night....

Sorry I'm a little pissed bc all my plans got ruined...had to vent a bit

 

[c818919]

Just remember could be the belt. Might could change that on the side of the road. I did in my Saturn.

 

[jriffe108]

What kind of car are we talkin about?

 

[iman501]

99 civic SI

 

[jriffe108]

what did you figure out? Any more info?