Left for work the other day, everything seemed fine on my 97 850 Wagon. After about half a mile my headlights got dim and the following "Dumby" lights came on: Low Washer Fluid, Low Fuel, Bulb Failure, Battery, Brake, Park Brake, and Low Coolant. I have a sneaking suspicion that it is the alternator. I think it is original with 337,000 miles on the car. Thoughts?

 

I would hazard a guess your voltage regulator in the alternator has gone, just had the EXACT same thing happen to me....... do a search on "voltage regulator" and you will find symptoms and the way to fix it, good luck.

 

 

In regard to that second video, if you had 3 bad cells, you won't have 12 volts.

Each cell is about 2 volts, fully charged (2.1 if I remember correctly).

The battery light and "charging system light" are the same thing. And it comes on for a charging system problem, not a battery.

Just FYI.

 

ES6T is right. Cells account for the voltage. A bad cell will generally either drop the voltage 2v or completely drain the battery if it's shorted out. What causes a battery at 12.4v(100%) to not start the car(aside from the starting system) is a lack of acid in the electrolyte solution which causes a low current production. That happens with age, along with normal buildup of internal corrosion, which is where that lost acid ends up. That's one reason I really want to get my hands on one of the newer Li-Ion batteries that weigh all of about 5 pounds. They last a lot longer. Although, they are about 5 times pricier, usually anywhere from $500 to $800 currently for a normal capacity.

 

My "thought" is have you checked anything yet and where are you at with it ??

You can always swing by an auto parts store and have them do an electrical system test for free.

 

Sorry for the delayed response. Haven't been online much. I pulled the old alternator and took it to get tested. It failed as I suspected it would. Installed new reman alternator and everything is back to normal. Thank you for your responses.

 

It's always nice not to have all those idiot lights starring at you

 

+1 on the voltage regulator. Be sure to order the right one for your alt, I made that mistake. Also, my slip rings ended up being worn to nothing so had the alt rebuilt for 120.... Sounds exactly like my symptoms though... Dash was lit like a Xmas tree...