Took my 2011 Kia Sedona Lx on a 6 hour drive from littleton to vallecito colorado. About 2 hours in, my dadhboard lit up like ground control, and my van stopped working. Turned out to be the alternator and battery that needed replaced. However, now i cant charge my phone and use the a/c at the same time. If I do, my dash lights up again (abs, esc, battery and parking break lights) and I have to take both rings off of my battery terminals to get it back to normal. Anybody have any clues?
Who diagnosed the bad battery & alternator?
Where did the replacement alternator come from?
There’s a lot of aftermarket junk out there.
Oreillys diagnosed the alternator, and we bought both the battery and alternator at different Oreillys locations
It’s better to have the OEM alternator repaired at a local auto electric shop, but sometimes buying a new or rebuilt unit is the only reasonable choice.
I don’t know what you mean by “take both rings off my battery terminals.” It seems like there is a poor connection between the battery and the wires going to it. The thick wires to the battery can corrode internally. The connection between those wires and the terminals that clamp onto the battery can also go bad. And the other ends of those thick wires can also need attention.
It means the OP disconnected both battery cables. It appears there’s more going on than the battery/alternator and the OP needs the services an actual mechanic and not just the dude at O’Reilley’s.
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I expect you are misinterpreting the result of that experiment. An electrical circuit is like a big circle with current (electrons) going around it; breaking the circle at one place stops all the current, no different than breaking the circle at two separate places. Suggest to try that experiment again. Best method to disconnect battery is to remove the negative connector, less chance of the wrench shorting out. If you must remove + too, remove it after the negative.
If you knowhow to work a volt meter, my diy’er battery & alternator test: Before first start of the day battery should measure about 12.6 volts, then immediately after starting engine, 13.5 - 15.5 volts. You are welcome to report what you measure here on your Sedona LX for more ideas.