# Electrical problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** chevrolet, s-10\ **Created:** [December 13, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electrical-problem/58634 "2010-12-13T02:37:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jpghostwisper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c4cdca/32.png) [@jpghostwisper](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jpghostwisper)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electrical-problem/58634/1 "2010-12-13T02:37:37Z")
I have a 97 s10 v6 4,3cl I have owned it for a while and all the sudden every time i start my car my radio resets.Every cd player i have installed has broke from the electrical charge when i start my car.theres also a problem with the lights when i turn them on they flicker with the radio.Right now i have taken apart my dash tryin to figure out whats wrong. So far my alternators good and I checked all the fuses.Thanks need some new ideas. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 8:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electrical-problem/58634/2 "2010-12-13T08:48:19Z")
Put your alternator back in the dash where it belongs. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electrical-problem/58634/3 "2010-12-13T14:13:14Z")
How do you know your alternator is good? ---
**Author:** ![jesmed1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/jesmed1/32/2097_2.png) [@jesmed1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jesmed1)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electrical-problem/58634/4 "2010-12-13T14:18:22Z")
Sounds like a bad voltage regulator inside your alternator…putting out too many volts and frying things. ---
**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electrical-problem/58634/5 "2010-12-13T14:59:19Z")
It sounds like you have AC voltage getting into the power buss and that is damaging things. When diodes inside the alternator short that can happen. If you want to verify that then use a digital meter and check for AC voltage across the battery while the engine and alternator are running. If there is more then .1 volt of AC voltage there then the alternator is bad. ---
**Author:** ![jpghostwisper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c4cdca/32.png) [@jpghostwisper](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jpghostwisper)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electrical-problem/58634/6 "2010-12-13T16:32:40Z")
I disconnected the battery while the car was on if the car stays running the alternator is still good if it dies then alternator is not keepin the charge ---
**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electrical-problem/58634/7 "2010-12-13T16:54:32Z")
That’s a very bad idea on a modern car with electronics. The battery keeps spikes from the alternator filtered mostly out. Without the battery, you can damage a lot of the electronics. They might not fail then and there, but they may start failing later. This may be part of what is happening to you. The test that you did only established that the alternator can provide some power. It didn’t verify at all that it was (a) the correct voltage, (b) enough current for all situations, or © that it had no AC content. You are fooling yourself. ---
**Author:** ![jpghostwisper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c4cdca/32.png) [@jpghostwisper](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jpghostwisper)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electrical-problem/58634/8 "2010-12-13T21:55:27Z")
Well right now my truck is torn apart im going to fix my drive shaft put in a new feul pump And rewire my dash .Probly going to just get a new alternater to. ---
**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electrical-problem/58634/9 "2010-12-13T22:11:33Z")
Okay, but if you are changing out the fuel pump and rewiring the dash thinking that is going to help with the trouble you talked about here I think you will be wasting your time and money. The alternator is causing that trouble. ---
**Author:** ![jpghostwisper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c4cdca/32.png) [@jpghostwisper](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jpghostwisper)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electrical-problem/58634/10 "2010-12-13T22:30:17Z")
im fixin mu fuel pump the bober is broke and theres been crackling in my dash some where in the wires. ---
**Author:** ![jpghostwisper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c4cdca/32.png) [@jpghostwisper](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jpghostwisper)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electrical-problem/58634/11 "2010-12-15T22:17:57Z")
fixed my car thanks.