The battery light will come on when you drive the car. It flickers, and it goes off when you take your foot off of the gas pedal.
Could this be a loose cable or something.
It could be but more than likely the alternator is failing. Get it checked out before you get stranded somewhere.
Advance Auto Parts and AutoZone test alternators & batteries for free - that’s obviously so they can then sell you the stuff, so you’ll then want to decide whether or not to buy there. But you can at least get some info for no cost.
Thanks for the info. Is this easy to put on or will it cost a arm and leg to take to the dealership?
Well, my '99 Escort just went out the driveway so I can’t peek and tell you how easy it is to replace the alternator. But in any case there is NO reason to go to a dealership for this. Find a trustworthy independent mechanic and have him/her do it if you don’t DIY. Only question would be whether to use a rebuilt alternator or to spring for a new one (which will, sigh, come from a dealership).
I took the car to AutoZone to get the alternator reading. They told me everything looks good. No signs of the alternator pulling the battery down.
Am I missing something here
The battery light wouldn’t come on for no reason.
Is the battery actually showing any sign of a problem? Any weak cranking? Had to have it jumped lately? Knowing that would help.
Also, it can’t hurt - but might help - to clean your battery terminals and make sure that the cables are reinstalled tightly.
I just mention the battery not being pulled down by the alternator because the guy at AutoZone said the alternator will most like pull the battery down.
I bought a new battery for the car last year in the fall, The terminals are ok, but they have some type of red residue around them when you touch it. The positive cable is very tight, the negative cable is sort of tight. The screw is kind of wicked, you can’t really turn it.
the negative cable is sort of tight
This may well be the problem.
You guys were totally correct!! I went to AutoZone and had the test done yesterday on the car. The guy said everything was good to go. My Misses go to work today and the car stops in the parking lot.
I went to take a look it, and it started right up. I turned the car off, and tried to start the car again, ‘nothing.’
I had to use booster/jumper cable to get the car started, however it won’t go anywhere, when you put it into drive, because the car dies/stalls.
I don’t what the guy at AutoZone was looking at, because he misread the reading badly. Is this normal, or did I just get a guy that didn’t know what he was doing.