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2001 Dodge Neon Alternator/Battery Problem
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Sparky2
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Aug 18, 2022, 5:43 AM
Post #1 of 20
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2001 Dodge Neon Alternator/Battery Problem
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I replaced the battery in my 2001 Dodge Neon (it may be older, but it's a good little car still), four years ago. The battery started draining again, which required starting and running every couple of days to prevent dead batt upon start. Last week while running an errand, my check engine light came on and batt light started flashing (have had it come on in the past but have never seen it flash like that, before), car was obviously losing power while operating.
Checked the alternator by removing positive terminal to batt, car died. Had it towed to professional garage. Was told the alternator needed replaced, mechanic replaced it. After picking the car up, the engine light came back on and engine delays stopping when I turn car off. It's never done this before. When trying to start it to take it back to mechanic, batt was dead, starts right up with a jump though.
NOW it has a strange constant loud clicking sound coming from engine after I turn it off (and it finally does shut off), unrelated to engine cool down. It's now in same mechanic's shop, but I don't trust what he'll tell me. When I told him the problem with it after alternator replacement, he kept saying they didn't do anything but replace the alternator and it couldn't be anything to do with that. I've done some research and have found it could be several things gone wrong with replacement, though I wasn't yet aware of the clicking noise to add that in to troubleshooting.
Any helpful thoughts, opinions or advice would be greatly appreciated!
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Aug 18, 2022, 7:35 AM
Post #3 of 20
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon Alternator/Battery Problem
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Quote
Checked the alternator by removing positive terminal to batt, car died.
Damage from doing that is now yours and won't like the cost.
Alternators + a good battery, charged up by it or otherwise if low like it was is mandatory.
BTW that trick for testing a generator was lost back to the early 1960s a few vehicles still had generators not alternators. You own doing that not a shop,
Tom
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Aug 18, 2022, 8:01 AM
Post #4 of 20
(847 views)
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon Alternator/Battery Problem
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Please don't use the quote feature. Everybody sees every post. All it does is take up space by simply reposting a previous response with no new response.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Aug 18, 2022, 8:02 AM)
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Sparky2
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Aug 18, 2022, 8:05 AM
Post #5 of 20
(842 views)
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon Alternator/Battery Problem
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Sorry, just learning how to reply with quote on this forum...so I just copy the text from the post I'm replying to?
Thanks so much for explaining how it can damage a car! I'd known of others who checked their alternators like that and it was actually two guys who checked it...I guess they didn't know either.
I understand it could be a lot of things, but I'm wondering if it could be feedback to the ignition switch from the voltage regulator field exciter wire or would that apply in this case?
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Sparky2
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Aug 18, 2022, 8:08 AM
Post #6 of 20
(839 views)
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon Alternator/Battery Problem
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Agreed, any damage from that is on me.
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Sparky2
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Aug 18, 2022, 8:18 AM
Post #8 of 20
(833 views)
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon Alternator/Battery Problem
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Quote: It appears you are going to need a shop with more electrical knowledge. It appears they may not even be aware that the voltage regulator for this car is built into the engine control module, not the alternator so they may have misdiagnosed the bad alternator. There is also maxi fuses or fusible links between the alternator and the battery.
If that's the case, would the shop have to make good on the misdiagnoses?
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Sparky2
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Aug 18, 2022, 8:25 AM
Post #9 of 20
(830 views)
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon Alternator/Battery Problem
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I'm seeing no quote button, other than the one in the upper right hand corner of posts, and when I used that, you asked that I not use it, so I don't know.
This link is to explain the exciter wire mention, but your forum doesn't allow hot linking, so I'm copying the text from the website:
*"This can be caused by a few different things.The first item to check would be the alternator. There may be a feedback to the ignition switch from the voltage regulator field exciter wire."
Unfortunately I didn't see this before checking the alternator.
*https://www.americanautowire.com/view-faq/when-i-turn-my-car-off-it-continues-to-run-and-will-not-shut-off-why/
(This post was edited by Sparky2 on Aug 18, 2022, 8:31 AM)
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Aug 18, 2022, 8:33 AM
Post #10 of 20
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon Alternator/Battery Problem
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The quote button I refer to is at the bottom of the compose window after you have hit reply. That could vary with different browsers though.
The confusion here is clearing up what it is you are trying to resolve. Is it the car not charging, a parasitic drain on the battery when parked or the overrunning at shutoff which could be as simple as the engine idling too fast because it hasn't had time to relearn the idle strategy after a dead or disconnected battery.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Sparky2
User
Aug 18, 2022, 8:44 AM
Post #11 of 20
(822 views)
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon Alternator/Battery Problem
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@ Hammertime
It's probably my browser, I'm using Firefox.
I'm referring to the car continuing to run after shut off. The battery has been dead and disconnected (when replaced) and it's not done this before, which isn't to say it couldn't happen. I'd actually be happy if it's as simple as the idle!
I'm wondering about the drain on the battery, as well.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Aug 18, 2022, 8:48 AM
Post #12 of 20
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon Alternator/Battery Problem
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One problem at a time.
First resolve your charging system issues and then see what you have left to deal with.
You can't approach an "everything at once" path. The over running issue may or may not be related.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Aug 18, 2022, 8:48 AM
Post #14 of 20
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon Alternator/Battery Problem
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That worked
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Sparky2
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Aug 18, 2022, 8:55 AM
Post #15 of 20
(811 views)
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon Alternator/Battery Problem
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First resolve your charging system issues and then see what you have left to deal with.
You can't approach an "everything at once" path. The over running issue may or may not be related.
The charging system issues did come first. It was doing it before I replaced the battery, was all good for awhile, then it started with the new battery.
That worked
Hallelujah!
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Aug 18, 2022, 8:57 AM
Post #16 of 20
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon Alternator/Battery Problem
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This site is screwed up, unfixed software for years now. Notice that when you post you get fault page! OMG I started this joint with an absentee owner (see Amsoil ad top right) was just for that.
So it's fubar and we have to put up with it even moderators! That idea was just keep it clean + please no personal abuse, that's all,
Tom Greenleaf
Not elusive or hiding from you!
From Marlborough, MA - USA
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Aug 18, 2022, 9:15 AM
Post #18 of 20
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon Alternator/Battery Problem
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Yes, we have some software issues but we have gotten used to them. The owner says they can't be resolved.
Most of it is resolved by learning how to get around these issues.
The problem with the quote feature is that it reposts the entire response and for some reason many people never add anything to it so all it does is repat a response. Takes up way too much space in the thread. We all see all responses so there is no need to respond to someone specific.
We try to keep the threads clean and easy to follow for everyone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Aug 18, 2022, 9:17 AM)
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Aug 18, 2022, 10:08 AM
Post #20 of 20
(781 views)
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon Alternator/Battery Problem
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Just keep trying. You can't fix stupid the site's software is higher hopes we can help you with whatever issue.
Carry on we'll figure it out,
Tom
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