Battery light on, not charging. HELP!
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03-18-2014, 09:03 AM
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Battery light on, not charging. HELP!
Car: 2003 Dodge Neon SXT, automatic transmission.
As of today, I have been without my car for about three weeks. I hired someone to install a timing belt and water pump I had bought at a lesser charge than most garages would charge me--someone who was confident he could do the job--and when he took a look at my car, there were two large chipped places/gaps in the side of my power steering pulley. He also said I had a bad idler (this, I admit I haven't the slightest clue about) that needed replaced. Before he worked on the car, I drove it three hours to his house, parked, and had left my lights on, so I killed my battery for the moment. No matter, though; he boosted it off, pulled it into his garage, and began work the next day. I was going to be charged ten dollars an hour, which I thought was absolutely fabulous, but this has turned into a nightmare now.
The timing belt, water pump, power steering pulley, and idler were replaced. Once he reconnected my battery, it wasn't charging--the battery light stayed on. He checked the voltage and it was too low, and he also determined that I needed a new alternator. Whether it matters or not, the temperature sensor was not placed back inside the battery blanket to sit continuously against the battery, especially once a larger battery was placed in the car to see if that corrected the problem, thinking my battery was completely dead and in need of replacement. This didn't fix the issue, and neither did a new alternator. Both the alternator that was in my car and the one bought as a replacement, I was told, tested to be bad at Advance Auto, and a replacement alternator was given. So, third alternator in my car. This one tests to be good. He boosted it off, battery light stayed on, and within about thirty minutes, the car was dead again. This is running into more money than I had to spend, and now, for the moment, I am broke. I should also mention that, judging by what was said, he wasn't quite clear how to remove the power steering pulley until he called a friend/mechanic and was told how to do so in about ten minutes. I don't know if that even matters, but I'm mentioning everything I know!
He called a Dodge dealership and a tech support line, explained the issue, and was told it was probably the voltage regulator within the PCM. I had just previously had a re-manufactured PCM installed in the car about four months prior to this after the neon went into limp mode and was stuck in first or second gear, and that seemed to remedy things besides what I felt to be some weird shifting. I'm used to driving manual shift cars, but I'm sure it didn't shift quite right, and when the accelerator is punched too quickly, the kickdown (?) can be hard. Even so, I've driven it hard and many miles since the replacement PCM was installed, and she just kept on going and going, thank goodness. Furthermore, he said my old battery had two bad seals. The suspicion is that, when I ran the battery dead, somehow (because I don't understand these things), it shorted out the regulator in my PCM and killed it. Maybe this is what happened to it the first time around? I understand that voltage problems can also cause weird shifting, too.
Some facts about the car prior to the installation of the timing belt, water pump, power steering pulley, idler, and alternator:
*My airbag light had come on about a week prior to the work, would sometimes go off for a while, then come back on. He said all fuses were good. He also checked the fuse link (?) after work, and it is fine.
*During cold weather--because that's all we've had here in KY for many months--sometimes the car would hesitate to start as though it wasn't getting enough power, like the battery was dying. I was told this was due to the ridiculously frigid temperatures, probably, and no matter how many times it done it (not a lot), it always started right up.
*When I roll my windows down, the interior lights always dimmed.
*Not knowing the lot or whomever owned the car before me put water in the radiator instead of antifreeze (I know, I'm an idiot), the radiator froze up on the first cold night we had. After the thaw, engine sounded fine, no overheating whatsoever, though my heater would barely get warm after that on cold days...just warm enough. The guy who worked on the car said there was a very slight bit of oil in my water on the cap/lid, but assured me that it is nothing at all for me to worry about for a very, very long time--he said it would be perfectly fine. I know this likely has nothing to do with my current issues, but I felt I should mention it, just in case. Lights dimmed with windows rolled down and things before that happened.
I shipped my PCM out for replacement, having a lifetime warranty. I have no idea if it will even correct the current problem, but at this point, I am out of funds to do anything more to the car for a couple of weeks or so, and I really hope that fixes it. I'm not that hopeful, however. If it isn't the PCM, I feel it could be something so simple, like bad battery cables which I didn't even think to ask him to check for me. I do know that my sister recently told me that her Dodge Ram, shortly after buying it, hesitated to start up in the same way, started having random lights come on, the computer in the dash black out, etc..and after a year, it stopped starting altogether. The problem was nothing more than bad battery cables, turned out, and it took a dealership that long to figure it out. I'm kind of leaning toward that, but I don't know a great deal about these things, obviously, or I'd be working on it myself!
*After the freeze, I occasionally noticed a loud screeching noise which I assumed was the serpentine belt. It happened upon startup, lasted a minute or less, and sometimes stopped immediately if I would turn off the heater. I also noticed it happening once when I ran through a large puddle of water. The guy who is working on the car said my serpentine belt is in good condition, however.
*When out driving and I come to a stop at a red light, there is a vibration in the front of the car. Putting the car into neutral and back into drive stops that, immediately. Every. Single. Time. What? Why? Blah.
*Motor mount, one of them, was broken and replaced when I bought the car. Another one is weak, but not yet broken.
So, help!?? Any advice whatsoever would be GREATLY appreciated! Also, do you think it's possible my battery is actually fine and that my alternator was, too? I'm so disgusted at this point, I really dread if I have to also purchase a new battery now, on top of God only knows what else.
As of today, I have been without my car for about three weeks. I hired someone to install a timing belt and water pump I had bought at a lesser charge than most garages would charge me--someone who was confident he could do the job--and when he took a look at my car, there were two large chipped places/gaps in the side of my power steering pulley. He also said I had a bad idler (this, I admit I haven't the slightest clue about) that needed replaced. Before he worked on the car, I drove it three hours to his house, parked, and had left my lights on, so I killed my battery for the moment. No matter, though; he boosted it off, pulled it into his garage, and began work the next day. I was going to be charged ten dollars an hour, which I thought was absolutely fabulous, but this has turned into a nightmare now.
The timing belt, water pump, power steering pulley, and idler were replaced. Once he reconnected my battery, it wasn't charging--the battery light stayed on. He checked the voltage and it was too low, and he also determined that I needed a new alternator. Whether it matters or not, the temperature sensor was not placed back inside the battery blanket to sit continuously against the battery, especially once a larger battery was placed in the car to see if that corrected the problem, thinking my battery was completely dead and in need of replacement. This didn't fix the issue, and neither did a new alternator. Both the alternator that was in my car and the one bought as a replacement, I was told, tested to be bad at Advance Auto, and a replacement alternator was given. So, third alternator in my car. This one tests to be good. He boosted it off, battery light stayed on, and within about thirty minutes, the car was dead again. This is running into more money than I had to spend, and now, for the moment, I am broke. I should also mention that, judging by what was said, he wasn't quite clear how to remove the power steering pulley until he called a friend/mechanic and was told how to do so in about ten minutes. I don't know if that even matters, but I'm mentioning everything I know!
He called a Dodge dealership and a tech support line, explained the issue, and was told it was probably the voltage regulator within the PCM. I had just previously had a re-manufactured PCM installed in the car about four months prior to this after the neon went into limp mode and was stuck in first or second gear, and that seemed to remedy things besides what I felt to be some weird shifting. I'm used to driving manual shift cars, but I'm sure it didn't shift quite right, and when the accelerator is punched too quickly, the kickdown (?) can be hard. Even so, I've driven it hard and many miles since the replacement PCM was installed, and she just kept on going and going, thank goodness. Furthermore, he said my old battery had two bad seals. The suspicion is that, when I ran the battery dead, somehow (because I don't understand these things), it shorted out the regulator in my PCM and killed it. Maybe this is what happened to it the first time around? I understand that voltage problems can also cause weird shifting, too.
Some facts about the car prior to the installation of the timing belt, water pump, power steering pulley, idler, and alternator:
*My airbag light had come on about a week prior to the work, would sometimes go off for a while, then come back on. He said all fuses were good. He also checked the fuse link (?) after work, and it is fine.
*During cold weather--because that's all we've had here in KY for many months--sometimes the car would hesitate to start as though it wasn't getting enough power, like the battery was dying. I was told this was due to the ridiculously frigid temperatures, probably, and no matter how many times it done it (not a lot), it always started right up.
*When I roll my windows down, the interior lights always dimmed.
*Not knowing the lot or whomever owned the car before me put water in the radiator instead of antifreeze (I know, I'm an idiot), the radiator froze up on the first cold night we had. After the thaw, engine sounded fine, no overheating whatsoever, though my heater would barely get warm after that on cold days...just warm enough. The guy who worked on the car said there was a very slight bit of oil in my water on the cap/lid, but assured me that it is nothing at all for me to worry about for a very, very long time--he said it would be perfectly fine. I know this likely has nothing to do with my current issues, but I felt I should mention it, just in case. Lights dimmed with windows rolled down and things before that happened.
I shipped my PCM out for replacement, having a lifetime warranty. I have no idea if it will even correct the current problem, but at this point, I am out of funds to do anything more to the car for a couple of weeks or so, and I really hope that fixes it. I'm not that hopeful, however. If it isn't the PCM, I feel it could be something so simple, like bad battery cables which I didn't even think to ask him to check for me. I do know that my sister recently told me that her Dodge Ram, shortly after buying it, hesitated to start up in the same way, started having random lights come on, the computer in the dash black out, etc..and after a year, it stopped starting altogether. The problem was nothing more than bad battery cables, turned out, and it took a dealership that long to figure it out. I'm kind of leaning toward that, but I don't know a great deal about these things, obviously, or I'd be working on it myself!
*After the freeze, I occasionally noticed a loud screeching noise which I assumed was the serpentine belt. It happened upon startup, lasted a minute or less, and sometimes stopped immediately if I would turn off the heater. I also noticed it happening once when I ran through a large puddle of water. The guy who is working on the car said my serpentine belt is in good condition, however.
*When out driving and I come to a stop at a red light, there is a vibration in the front of the car. Putting the car into neutral and back into drive stops that, immediately. Every. Single. Time. What? Why? Blah.
*Motor mount, one of them, was broken and replaced when I bought the car. Another one is weak, but not yet broken.
So, help!?? Any advice whatsoever would be GREATLY appreciated! Also, do you think it's possible my battery is actually fine and that my alternator was, too? I'm so disgusted at this point, I really dread if I have to also purchase a new battery now, on top of God only knows what else.
Last edited by NicoleMorgan; 03-18-2014 at 09:36 AM.
#2
03-20-2014, 08:42 PM
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#3
03-24-2014, 02:10 PM
My 1st step would be to get away from that "mechanic". Alternators now have the voltage regulator as one unit. Sometimes the stress from not charging will kill a marginable battery. You should get a voltage reading of about 14.3/14.5 VDC with the engine running. It is also important that the alternator belt be in good shape and not too tight or loose. Good antifreeze is very important and I would spend the extra $10 and replace the thermostat. It's quick and easy and look for the line up mark to make sure it's installed correctly. Good luk
#4
03-25-2014, 07:08 AM
The voltage regulator is definitely located within the PCM of my model as confirmed by a dealership. The PCM has already failed once before. I never experience any overheating, so I wonder if a thermostat is needed? I suppose it couldn't hurt to replace either way. I certainly want to pick up a new set of battery cables as a precautionary measure. I'll find out tomorrow if a new battery, new PCM already installed, remedies the issue.
Last edited by MNicoleMorgan; 03-25-2014 at 07:16 AM.
#5
03-27-2014, 02:57 AM
Better, but not
New battery, alternator, timing belt, water pump, and PCM installed and I'm back to square one as far as this headache of a car goes. The new battery (voltage is 14 something)has remedied the issue of the battery light staying on and so forth, but I'm back to puzzling over this. Once the car was started yesterday, it ran perfectly for about 45 minutes, even shifting perfectly for a rare change. I was on my way home, turned on the stereo, and about twenty minutes into my trip, I noticed the check engine light on. I went straight to O'Reilly Auto Parts to have it checked, but when the guy tried testing it, the light was off again. The only code he was able to get wasn't anything serious (it had the term catalyst in it), and he asked if id recently gotten gas. I had. Trouble is, just before pulling into the store, I noticed it bogging down and losing power again, something it's been notorious for since the day I bought it.
I also noticed my airbag light was on again. This worried me because it had been on for about a week before disaster struck. Fuse is good. I turned around to take the car back to where it had broken down on me--guy who changed my timing belt and things--and the engine light came on again about five miles from his house. Fml
We are taking it to be connected to a computer in the morning to see what codes are given. The car is back to driving exactly as it had been before, weird shifting, overdrive kicking in, bogging down, lack of power; my joy was short-lived.
At this point, my only suspicion and idea is to replace the transmission shifting solenoid once I have the money; I'm out 600.00 or so already and broke. Months ago when the car went into limp mode, the two main codes given concerned the PCM and shifting solenoid, but a local garage determined it had to be the PCM, and this remedied the problematic car for about a week. I suppose it possible the faulty battery did indeed fry my voltage regulator within the PCM, but I'm highly suspicious of the shifting solenoid and am not sure what else to do; I can't afford a high-dollar mechanic anymore and to spend money that isn't going to remedy the issue. I am spent with this car.
Any ideas? Electrical? Bad wire somewhere? From the stereo? Shifting solenoid?
Sell it? Ha. I'm ready to cry over this thing and throw in the towel, nearly.
I also noticed my airbag light was on again. This worried me because it had been on for about a week before disaster struck. Fuse is good. I turned around to take the car back to where it had broken down on me--guy who changed my timing belt and things--and the engine light came on again about five miles from his house. Fml
We are taking it to be connected to a computer in the morning to see what codes are given. The car is back to driving exactly as it had been before, weird shifting, overdrive kicking in, bogging down, lack of power; my joy was short-lived.
At this point, my only suspicion and idea is to replace the transmission shifting solenoid once I have the money; I'm out 600.00 or so already and broke. Months ago when the car went into limp mode, the two main codes given concerned the PCM and shifting solenoid, but a local garage determined it had to be the PCM, and this remedied the problematic car for about a week. I suppose it possible the faulty battery did indeed fry my voltage regulator within the PCM, but I'm highly suspicious of the shifting solenoid and am not sure what else to do; I can't afford a high-dollar mechanic anymore and to spend money that isn't going to remedy the issue. I am spent with this car.
Any ideas? Electrical? Bad wire somewhere? From the stereo? Shifting solenoid?
Sell it? Ha. I'm ready to cry over this thing and throw in the towel, nearly.