2003 MCS.

I was on the highway, about 15 miles from my exit.

1. The red battery light turned on.
2. When I reached the exit, i realize my power steering was gone.
3. Random lights on the dash board turns on and off, ABS and Parking, Airbag, etc...
4. A block after that holy **** i'm doing 70 in the city! O wait my needles stopped moving, including the tach! My headlights went out, my dash is completely dead.

When I hit the turn signal, it clicks as usual, so there's at least some juice in the battery?

I pulled into my driveway and parked the tank. Locked it with the remote, the lights blinked as they should.


What's wrong with my car?!

 

Most likely a dead alternator....glad you made it home. Hope the battery recovers.

 

This is awesome, my battery is lasting longer than the alternator! 78 000 miles right now and my battery still has the green dot

 

Wonder why MINIs kill DENSO alternators that never seem to die on TOYOTAs.

 

If it has a green dot without charging it...
you might want to look more closely at things...it is odd...
The dot just indicates that the battery is sifficently charged to be tested....
with you symptoms, it would typically indicate the alterntor first died....then the battery was getting weak and electrical oddness was following....I would expect the dot to be dark....

 

My first thing to check would be the battery itself. When a cell in a battery starts to die or randomly shorts the battery and car do some weird things. I would check it first for sure.

 

This just happened to me also same exact ordeal!!

My car wouldn't start one morning so I jumped it and went on my way, next day dead again. Bought a new battery and the red indicator still is there. Now my power steering died,was thinking the power steering pump would be the problem but not sure!

Any other ideas>?

 

I would check the battery first. If that is the original battery in your 2003, it is time to replace the battery anyway. 8 years on a battery is very good. I would first suspect that the battery is not taking/holding a charge.

 

The PS pump is a BIG electric motor....
It uses a compartivly large amount of current.....
The fact it is usually the first item to stop working when the alternator fails is due to it current requirements....the power steering pump is in terms of power use islike a starter...big draw...big requirements...think how you may have a radio or lights with a weak battery, but it may not crank....
Since a new battery solved you issue for a short time....as did a jump start....it would appear likely you alternator has failed, or is very weak, and you are running the car off the battery....
usually a red battery light on a car indicates a charging system fault.....the most common one is a bad alternator.....but before you get a $300 part, it only makes sense to trouble shoot it a bit....heck only 50% of folks will diy it...so getting a pro to look at it is simple. Those that will/can diy....well the effeciency/cost effectivness of the selfhelp is as good as the expertise used.....
And free internet advise is worth what you paid for it....just one rescource in determining a fault. Others should be used to verify a issue before spending big $$ and time to fix something......there is a reason why auto parts places say not returns on electrical items...just swapping parts in and out is not cost effective or a good idea....
rant complete.

 

I did T/S everything I could imagine and it does look like my alternator might be dead. I am only getting 11V with the car on. BUT I was getting 13V when the PS pump worked. It stopped working once I replaced the battery which I though was the original issue.

Anyways after reading many many threads on P/S pump issues and only a handful on actual alternator issues decided to send my pump out to BSA to get re-built. It was easy to pull out and now I know it will be good and with lifetime warranty.

Will update thread once installed.

 

To be clear, there is a yellow wire that comes from the Alt and ends up at the PS pump. This wire triggers the PS pump with 12V. If the voltage in anything lower then 12V, the PS pump will not run. So if the alt is not putting out 12V and more then the PS pump identifies this and will not turn on.

 

Good to hear might solve the mystery there!

 

I had the exact same symptom a week ago, and just got it fix by replacing the alternator. See my post https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/stock-problems-issues/213904-what-could-it-be.html.

 

Test to be done at the battery terminals

 

I used a multimeter to test the battery, it was reading only 9 volts, i started the car up and the voltage went to around 7 - 8 so i figure it's definitely the alternator. I wonder what's the lowest voltage i need to start the engine?

I bought a new alternator online, they sent me one with two prongs but mine has 3 prongs in the connector. Now I have to wait even longer.

 

The problem to start the car is not just the voltage, but the capacity of the battery. Your battery was reading so low because it wasnt not being charged. The drop in voltage happens because the high Amps, so P=VxI. P is power is what your capable of supply, lets say nominal 12 V 25Amps (300W) that is it you cant create power. If at start of the engine the motor gets 38Amps you will have 8 Volts, but this transiory 1 or 2 sec.

Then alternator comes to play. So voltage should 13.5 to 14 volts to charge the battery and kind recovery it from the rush of the start. At this situation you should see the wave that is the battery it should be a contant value in that range.

Before replace alternator can you jump start the car and measure it with a escope?
Or remove the battery and take to an autoparts to ran a check on it, could be some damage cells, if so alternator will not make a miracle.

Hope this help,
Ml

 

So I installed the new alternator in a couple days ago. Fixed everything. And when I mean everything, i mean it also fixed the "notchy" feeling in my steering.

I though it was my power steering pump going kaput since my power steering fan has seized over 3 years ago. Now that makes you wonder if the tiny power steering fan is even necessary. (I live in NY)

Now i know the notchy feeling in the steering can be an indication of the alternator not providing enough juice. My 8 year old battery charged back to 12.5 volts and is working like a champ!

 

Happy for you. Congrats, its good the feeling of accomplishement.

 

So glad you resolved the problem.