# Help me diagnose my car problem...1993 Sentra XE



## Blown01GT (Dec 1, 2003)

My 93 Sentra crapped on me again. A couple weeks ago the car was dying and wouldnt start etc. I replaced the battery and it was fine, except for every now and then on the highway, the car would just die, then start back up again because it was in gear and I was moving. 

It started doing that mostly on the highway, basically every time I drove it, and it would occassionally die at lights, but start back up without a problem. 

The other day as I was leaving a friends house at like 3am, the car died at a light, and wouldnt start back up. It seems like it has no power again, like a dead battery. Me and a friend push started it like 10 times and eventually made it home. What could it be? Alternator?


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## sersr20dk (Oct 15, 2003)

more than likely it is your alternator


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## Blown01GT (Dec 1, 2003)

How hard to replace?


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## 92SentraWA (Nov 6, 2003)

not that difficult, but if you dont think you can do it, i think autozone or somethin like that could help you out


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## Blown01GT (Dec 1, 2003)

Well I put a blower on my Mustang, it just looks like the alt is buried enough to make it real annoying.


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## SilverBullitt03 (Apr 18, 2003)

*get a volt ohm meter*

If you installed a blower at home you have to have a digital meter of some sort. Hook it up to your battery and see what the voltage readings are with the car running. Also dont forget to do a voltage drop between all the connections and the wires themselves to rule that stuff out before replaceing the alt. IF you are interested I can tell you how to go about performing any of those above. :thumbup: Its a big money and time saver.


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## b13racer (Aug 18, 2003)

if you can get your car to autozone they will test it for free


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## toolapcfan (Jul 10, 2002)

Can they bench test alternators? If so that'd be the way to go, then you don't have to risk the drive. Or you could take it to a rebuilders, they might be able to rebuild it while you wait and it might be cheaper.


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## b13racer (Aug 18, 2003)

yes autozone can bench test or test them on your car


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## BikerFry (Jul 31, 2003)

FYI, it's 90 bucks for a rebuilt one at Autozone plus a 50 dollar core deposit. Well, it was a month ago anyways when I priced them out for my 93 XE.


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## Blown01GT (Dec 1, 2003)

SilverBullitt03 said:


> If you installed a blower at home you have to have a digital meter of some sort. Hook it up to your battery and see what the voltage readings are with the car running. Also dont forget to do a voltage drop between all the connections and the wires themselves to rule that stuff out before replaceing the alt. IF you are interested I can tell you how to go about performing any of those above. :thumbup: Its a big money and time saver.


I have an alt tester and it shows the alt is not charging because the voltage is low with the car running.


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## cls12vg30 (Oct 21, 2003)

Blown01GT said:


> I have an alt tester and it shows the alt is not charging because the voltage is low with the car running.


Yah swap out that alternator. It's not that hard, took me about an hour in my wife's '92 XE. While you're at it I would replace the battery terminals. Our Sentra has had problems with them on more than one occasion where you would go to start the car and there would be no juice whatsoever, anywhere, no radio, no clock, nothing. Pop the hood and wiggle the battery cable a bit and it fired right up. After I replaced the terminals that never happened again. And they cost like 3 bucks each and take 5 minutes to replace.


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## Blown01GT (Dec 1, 2003)

cls12vg30 said:


> Yah swap out that alternator. It's not that hard, took me about an hour in my wife's '92 XE. While you're at it I would replace the battery terminals. Our Sentra has had problems with them on more than one occasion where you would go to start the car and there would be no juice whatsoever, anywhere, no radio, no clock, nothing. Pop the hood and wiggle the battery cable a bit and it fired right up. After I replaced the terminals that never happened again. And they cost like 3 bucks each and take 5 minutes to replace.


Which terminals? I replaced the alt,and the car still isnt charging. Where can I get them? I was just gonna take it somewhere cuz Im so fed up.


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## cls12vg30 (Oct 21, 2003)

The battery terminals, the round parts that go over the battery posts and connect to the battery cables. If I remember right, on the Sentra both the + and - terminals are easily replaceable. They have two bolts which hold themm tightly clamped on the cable, if you loosen those (after disconnecting them from the battery of course), they should come right off and you'll just have the exposed end of the battery cable which is sort of flattened out. It'll be obvious when you look at the terminals how they come off and how the new ones go on.
Or if memory serves, Pep Boys will replace them both for like 25 bucks.


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