Always at the wrong time....

[garyerrol]

Got in my Cruiser this morning to go to work just like I have for the last year and a half. Drive about two miles, just getting onto the Interstate on ramp and I hear a bell. Look down at my dash and see the battery light is on. I have to drive about 4 miles to get off the Interstate and turn around. Got home, turned the key off and then restarted the engine. No immediate battery light. So now I don't know if it was just a glitch or if I have a problem.

Last night on the way home we had some terrible storms, almost couldn't see ten feet in front of yourself at times. Also a lot of, what I thought was heavy, hard hitting hail, although when I got home I could not find any damage, no dents, nothing. Maybe I kicked something up into the engine compartment that caught something and dirtied a contact.

I didn't have time to look into it further or I would have been late to work (wasn't). So I'll have to check into it this evening, hopefully no more rain or storms for a few days.

[CREWZIN]

I'd take the air filter off anyway and clean both terminals and look around. Can't hurt.

[garyerrol]

I'm going to look at it this evening. Funny thing was when I restarted it, the battery light went out. I'm wondering if the belt isn't tight enough. I know I've been having problems with the air conditioner clutch. So I wonder if it didn't tighten up and causing the belt not to turn or not to turn all the time. If that is the case, I'll just have to have a belt for w/o air conditioning installed as I don't have the money right now to buy or even repair a compressor. Actually right now I'm hoping it is something that simple.

[garyerrol]

I'm getting P1682, which according to the codes listed above, it means:

P1682 Driver 5 Line 2

which means nothing to me. Can someone decipher? Is this something I can reset by undoing the battery cable for a few minutes?

[garyerrol]

After I asked the question about the error code I did a further Google search and found something about charging voltage being low. Cause could be a loose, or worn out belt. So I went back out to take one more look. Starting the vehicle up, after about 30 seconds, the battery light comes on. Rev the engine up to higher rpm and after about 30 more seconds the light goes out until you go back to idle, then after 30 seconds it is back on.

I'll take it to my local Car-X tomorrow morning and see about either tightening up the old belt or putting on a new one. Hopefully that will fix the problem.

[CREWZIN]

The main serpentine belt has an automatic tensioner so no adjustment can be made but the alternator does have it's own belt and the alternator itself can be adjusted to tighten up or loosen the belt. Depending on your mileage, maybe both belts need to be replaced. We try to tell everyone that goes in for the timing belt to change the water pump and drive belts while the work is being done.

[garyerrol]

I have no where near the funds to even think about changing the timing belt. Nor am I getting any indication that it needs changing. Also at 132,000 miles, I suspect it has been changed once.

I assume the alternator belt also powers the air conditioner compressor, correct? That's the belt I think needs replaced, or at least tighten.

[CREWZIN]

I could be wrong but what I'm seeing in the manual, the alternator belt is separate. Everything else including the compressor runs off the serpentine belt.

[garyerrol]

Either of us could be. I looked this morning on Auto Zones web site. They showed a belt for both with and w/o air conditioning. That's where I got my info. I'll find out tomorrow morning.

[garyerrol]

It wouldn't even turn over fast enough to start this morning. I should have jumped it this morning but didn't want to take the chance of not getting it done and then being late for work. So I'm leaving here at noon. Hopefully I can get it into a shop and checked out. If it is more than just the belt, she is just going to have to set for a few weeks until I get the funds to have it fixed.