tension on the s belt ?
what is that ?
The belt tension on the serpentine belt is automatic ( a coil spring )

 

well that answers that. thanks mate

 

Can you please describe where exactly the corrosion was on the negative terminal.

 

it went from the battery post and into the ground cable. But I still have issues so it wasnt the fix for me this time. Needed to be changed though.

 

Thanks for responding, keep us updated on what's going on and I hope you get it fixed.

 

So my car died again today. Drove to work, the window stopped rolling up half way. I turned the car off, turned the key to on and the window rolled up but slowly. After work, the car started but went into 'limp mode'. The car shut off a minute or two later. I jumped the car and it ran for another two minutes. I finally got the car home after an irritating adventure. Something is draining my battery while the car is off, or my alternator isnt charging the battery but its new. Ill check the alternator with a voltmeter tomorrow. I have a headlight wire that doesnt work but I drove with the lights off, could this drain my battery when off?

 

Ala-xfire is pretty darn good at that sort of stuff maybe he will see your post and comment.

 

Thanks for the compliment King David !
I see the post and my knee jerk reaction is a faulty ground on the negative battery cable.
Hook up an ohm meter between the negative battery post and a good clean part on the engine.
You should see close to 0 ohms. Wiggle the negative battery cable real good and see if you see any increase in resistance.

Measure the battery volts with everything off : 11.9 - 12.5 volts
Now measure with car running : 13.8 - 14.5

To check for battery drain, hook up your meter on ma scale between the negative cable clamp and the battery negative post.
***** DO NOT OPEN ANY DOORS, TURN ON IGNITION OR TRY TO START THE CAR - YOU WILL BLOW THE METER'S FUSE ****************
You should see somewhere in the 20 - 50 Ma range, if higher, start plucking fuses one at a time to see what area is causing the problem.

 

Thats just what i was looking for thanks!

So i think ive got it narrowed down. The battery keeps dying. Recharged it, its showing 12.5v. While running,12.4v. I had replaced the alternator last week. I put a bosch in and took out a valeo. Could that be the problem? Im going to jack it up and reconnect the wire harness to see if that helps. The pulley had six ribs like the original and the harness appeared to fit without any effort.

 

Bosch makes a replacement for the Valeo and Valeo makes a replacement for the Bosch. They each try not to leave a segment of the market uncovered.

Valeo part numbers. CLICK

 

So if the bosch replacement is good, what else could cause a decrease in battery voltage while running?

 

A bad alternator right out of the box? I experienced that once before on a boat engine. New alternator installed, never charged, survived for a little while on the batteries.

You mentioned you got it from Advance Auto (I shop there sometimes too). A couple years ago I bought a remanufactured rear window wiper motor from them for a Ford Escape. I was incredibly frustrated because the replacement didn't work which had me second guessing my diagnosis and wasting time. A day later I returned the motor to the store and they ordered me another, which worked! Moral of the story - never assume that a correct electrical part actually functions.

 

Just checking back with the final fix. It was a bad cable from alternator to battery. Back to 14.5volts. No more no start... although at 190k miles, something else will come round. Thanks so much guys! I know this car on an intimate level lol. At least ive already done the sticky key

 

Glad you got it fixed and thank you for sharing , what you found to be the problem will help many more down the road.

 

I rekon those voltage readings I supplied clued you in ?
Seems I was wrong on the negative battery cable, but I WAS in the ball park.
Thanks for getting back, I will file that away as yet another thing that needs checking.

( measure ohms from alternator big post to positive battery terminal )

 

Yup, going to check mine ASAP!

I think we can call that one an in the park homerun