Hello Everyone,
Ok, I will start at the beginning. I was pulling out of the driveway one day, and turned on my left turn signal light. I heard an electrical short sound(like a pop, then a crackle), and then three warning lights came on and stayed on while I was driving (the anti-lock, the break, and the check battery/alternator warning light). Now the anti lock break thing wasn't actually on, and the break wasn't actually on, just the warning lights were malfunctioning. When I got to work I checked and all my headllights/turn signal lights were working fine, so I am still not sure what that pop thing was. My boyfriend checked all the fuses, and nothing was popped. Him and another guy that "supposedly" knows about cars told me to not worry about it, that it was no big deal. A day or two later I went to go start my car after work, and it wouldn't turn on. I called AAA and they came and said that my alternator and battery were bad. They did readings on it, and I bought a new battery (since it turns out the previous owner put in the wrong size battery... One that was 25% smaller than it should have been! The AAA guy said it was a battery for a smart car or something small, and I beleive him as you could visually see that it was the wrong size)
So anyways, the atlernator was reading at 12.25 v instead of the 14v-ish that it was supposed to be reading at. Since I didn't want to ruin my new battery, the next day I went to the mechanic and he said my alternator was bad. I left the car there, and it was replaced with a remanufactured one. I get in the car to drive off, and okay so when you turn on the car all those warning lights are supposed to flash and then turn off. So now all the lights would turn on when I turned the key, then turn off, EXCEPT for the check battery/alternator light. It wouldn't come on at all, ever. I was really suspicious that maybe they did a botch job and disconnected the warning light so that I wouldn't be the wiser, so I bought a multimeter after doing some research online.
I didn't have time to check it though for a week, since I have been working and all that. But the car hasn't been running right. I turn it on in the morning, and it idles fine, the RPMS are around maybe 800-700 range. Then as I run the car more, after about 10 minutes the car is shaking really bad at red lights, the RPMs go down in the 500 and below range. It just runs really crappy and sounds messed up. It is like the first few stop lights it is in the 800-700 range, then once I am getting closer to work the shaking starts even worse at idle. And it sounds weird when I am accelterating too. Just seems like, underpowered, I don't know. So I finally had some time, I pulled out the multimeter and did a test. First, with the car off it was 12.7 volts. I turn on the car and test for dc volts and with the alternator supposedly on, it was reading at 12.28 volts. Then I turn on the a/c, it goes down to 12.08. I tested it twice, and both times it was reading 12.28 v with the alternator on.
So then I am like damn, maybe they gave me a bad alternator. I go to the shop and pop the hood and check again before speaking to the mechanic, and it was reading at 14 volts! So it seems the alternator is turning on and off, or maybe there is something loose.
Anyways, I am wondering why my check alternator/battery light isn't coming on when I turn on the car (as I said, it had previously been on, and then after I picked up the car it was the first thing I noticed. I went to leave after they replaced my alternator and all the other lights flash on startup except that one.)?
Is it likely they cut the wire, or is it possibly an honest mistake? I checked the owners manual and it says it is supposed to flash at startup like the rest of the lights.
Would a failing alternator cause my car to idle poorly after it has been running for a while, or do you think I have a second problem?
I also thought I smelt gasoline a few times, but then there were other cars around so I am not 100% sure. I also just recently, within the past few months, replaced the spark plugs, got an oil change, and replaced the fuel filter.
Maybe I have more than one problem, but I am just very worried and suspicious. When I went up to the first mechanic and showed him my receipt he looked all shocked or idk (maybe because they don't see a woman pull out a multimeter and start talking voltage often, but I did that intentionally in the hopes that if it was a botch job they won't mess with me again.) I thought they might argue with me or something but they hardly even wanted me to speak, there were other customers in the lot and they were just like oh ok it must be the aternator is bad quality, can you leave the car? It seemed they just wanted me to get out of there, epsecially when I mentioned how I was concerned about how the check alternator light doesn't flash at startup. I could barely finish saying what I wanted to say and they were like oh yes just leave the car here and we will figure it out. I didn't make any accusations, I just said that the aternator is working on and off, told them about my readings, and said maybe a wire is loose or something. It is possible that they just didn't want their other customers to worry so wanted me to leave asap, or it could be something else....It has been already 2 hours and I haven't received a call. I left the car and went home as there is no point standing around in the hot sun, and they had a bunch of other customers so I figured it wasn't going to be quick.
I am just really concerned and wondering if it was an honest mistake, or if car warning lights just suddenly stop working? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
