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Battery Light-1997 Dodge Grand Caravan

36K views 23 replies 7 participants last post by  Chrysler1924 
#1 ·
Hello,

I have 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan with a 3.8 L engine. The van has 170k miles on it. I have owned the vehicle since it had 95,000 miles. I have only put a starter on it and maintained it with brakes, tires, oil changes, etc. The van has been very reliable and a good car.

Last week, I had the voltage light (battery light) come on the panel. I took the vehicle to Advance Auto Parts. They put a machine on it and told me it was the alternator. I took the alternator out of the vehicle took it back to another Advance store that had the 120 amp alternator in stock. They bench tested the old one and they said it was fine. It was giving a solid 15 volts on the bench. So, I reinstalled it. Again, the light came back on. Took it off went to another advance and they bench tested and again it came up fine. Reinstalled it and it is currently on the vehicle.

I put a voltmeter on it and when you start the vehicle the alternator is charging at 13.9 volts. You can drive it for about 1/2 mile and the light will come on. I cleaned the battery terminals, the grounds under the fuel rail and the battery case. There was a little movement on the ground under the battery. No change in the voltage light. I did the key test and no codes came up.

Any suggestions ??

Thanks,

Patrick
98 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.8 L
170,000 miles
`
 
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#2 ·
:hi 2:Hi Pat: Welcome to the forum. I just went out and checked mine before turning on the engine. My meter needle went to 12.5 volts with the key in the ignition but not running. When I started it it went to 14 volts and everything is okay. I read a similar post to yours a while back where they couldn't get a light to go out whether it was the check engine light or the battery light. They even erased the codes and reset the tcm, and the light would not go out. Then they replaced the bulb and that was the cure, go figure. Try leaving the battery unhooked over night and turning on the ignition in the morning and stepping on the brake to completely drain the tcm. Then try another battery if you can. Some times the least little thing you can do will fix it, and don't forget to post your victory so we can all see the fix.
 
#4 ·
Thank you for the welcome. Electrical issues are certainly one of the most frustrating problems. I took the battery out last night and will drain the TCM as suggested, thanks. I learned last night about the "key dance" and I never knew you could pull the engine codes by pressing the reset and trip buttons and turning the key. I am glad the forum is here to discuss our experiences.

I noticed in your profile you are from Canada. I will have to buy you a cup of Tim Hortons the next time I head back north. Thanks for the tips.
 
#3 ·
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#5 ·
I thought your suggestion was going to work.......Unfortunately, No.....

I started the vehicle and the voltmeter read 14.1 and slowly it worked down to 13.5 while I turned on different accessories. I was hoping one accessory would be the cause. That was not the case. I turned on Lights, AC, Radio, Rear AC and all the electrical on and it stayed at 13.5 volts for 20 minutes. No Battery Light.

I took it for a road test and within a 1/4 mile the light came on. Every time I road test it, the light will come on right at the same spot. So, it has to do with driving or the computer. I am open to suggestions!
 
#6 ·
Have you measured the voltage while the light is on? If it is actually low at that time then maybe there is a slipping belt or pulley on the alternator? Or maybe a loose plate in the battery shorting a cell after a short drive?
 
#8 ·
I put a new serpentine belt on last week so that is good. There are no noises coming from the alternator. Advance Auto Parts swapped out the battery and gave me a new one. Unfortunately, I drove 1/4 mile and heard the ding of the battery light. :(

I am trying to be methodical about it and my logic is just not working. Thanks for the suggestions ! Keep them coming !
 
#9 ·
Next suggestion, chase down a loose connection in the harness. If the light is only coming on when you drive and at the same spot suggests vibration on a loose connection. Does the light come on after a turn or while braking or excessive bumps in the road? Something to think about, the dreaded clock spring, has that ever been replaced.
 
#7 ·
Truth be told, I don't have much faith in the battery tests that AutoZone and the like do anymore. Just because I have had many problems with batteries in the past that have tested "Good" ... they have sent me on huge wild-goose chases as a result. The second I replaced the battery anyway? The problem went away. The net of it is, have you tried swapping out the battery just to see if the problem still persists?

Part of me wouldn't be surprised at all if you replaced your seemingly "Good" battery, if the light went out and the problem disappeared.

PS- how old IS the battery...?
 
#12 ·
Are your turns all the same way or mixed? I can't help but think its a wire to close to metal that warms up as you drive, like maybe the harness is melting at a certain spot when it warms up and your turn causes centrifugal force against the hot metal. Sounds reasonable to me. Can you remove your wiper tray to get a better eye ball on whats going on down there. After all your harness is at the back of the engine close to the exhaust. Were you doing any work on the van before this problem happened. Hope full to get this diagnosed soon, or maybe we will have to call Dr. House.:cry:
 
#15 ·
things that can go wrong with the alternator




Things that can go wrong with the alternator;

1. bearings wear out

2. carbon brush get used up

3. diodes get busted.

I'm more inclined to think that you have a number of diodes busted or acting up or brush nearing the end of it's life.

You can inspect-rebuild your alternator or replace it with a new one. At 170K it's due for servicing anyway.


Bulldog Van
 
#17 ·
Wow.....Thanks for all the input !

I have not had any work done lately.....I will double check the harnesses to see if one is lying where it shouldn't and disconnect and reconnect them. Good suggestion. When I test it....I turn left, right and a left and that is all at stop sign so no real torque situations. All flat ground.

I am going to take your suggestion regarding hitting it with the hammer. I will try and do that while it is idling and see if I can get it fail.

After doing this, I will just give in and replace the alternator. I was ready to do it but the bench test put me in a different direction and might have me chasing circles.

I will let everyone know the outcome!


Thanks again,

Patrick
 
#22 ·
Hopefully, this is the conclusion to my saga.

I took the alternator out for the 3rd time and brought to NAPA instead of a Advance Auto Parts. NAPA technician said it was not producing any DC Volts. I bought a new alternator for $ 165, ouch.

We installed it and cranked it up and sure enough the battery light came on. While I was installing the new alternator I had seen that the plug that connects to the alternator had two wires going into and one of those wires was set back from the other. So, I suspected that this could be the problem. I took off the plug and pushed the connector all the way back in. Turned it back on and it worked just fine. I drove the van about 20 miles no problems and the light came on again. At this point, I was going to get a new plug connector. I called Chrysler and they did not have the plug by itself. You had to buy it as part of the entire wiring harness and that would take 2 weeks to get. You wonder why this industry is dying (but that is another post for another day)

I ended up going to a Pull a Part yard about 2 miles away and found the plug in one of the wrecked vans. I spliced the new connector onto the wiring harness. She is running like a top now. Yeah. In retrospect I wonder if this was the problem all along but the folks at advance were not helpful to the process when they told me the alternator was good.

Anyway a few suggestions if you are replacing an alternator. Go ahead and take off the wiper bowl. It will be a lot easier and it only takes 20 minutes. Don't believe the folks at Advance Auto Parts, LOL. They had me chasing bad grounds, ECM and all sorts of things.

Thanks to everyone for the advice and help !
 
#23 ·
I bet advance was just being kind and Napa got the sale on the new Alternator. To bad you had not found the bad connection before you pulled the alternator, might have saved your self the big ouch.:Wow1: I did mention to check the harness, but we are happy for you any way. :ThumbsUp::biggrin:
PS.
Thanks for letting us know.
 
#24 ·
Removing the wiper cowl and cover is a definite MUST when replacing the alternator. I have absolutely no idea how you'd do it otherwise.

I had the distinct pleasure of doing this for the first time in 12 degree Colorado winter weather in a drafted garage.
 
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