autto.net

I have a 2002 Chrysler Sebring and today, I was in the middle of an hr long drive, about 30 mins in, the battery "idiot" light turned on. I assumed it was an Alternator Issue. Then after I reached my destination, I turned the car off, let it sit for a while. When I turned the car back on, the battery light wasnt on. I needed to return home, so I turned down my interior lights and turned off everything that used alot of power. This time, about 50 mins into the trip, the light turned on and still didnt cause many issues when driving and I made it home fine. Is the alternator dead? Or is it on its way out? Any other possibilities im not thinking about right now?

The alternator may quit charging or is overcharging during your trips, I doubt it is just an idiot light something is causing it to activate.

I would take the car to a parts store and have the charging system checked, just to be sure and take it to them with the light on!

Just think how simple it would be to check the battery voltage with the engine running using an inexpensive volt meter. 13.5 -14.2 volts is the normal alternator charging voltage. Chevrolet trucks, Camaros Corvettes and a few Cadillacs have volt meters in their dash to monitor charging voltage.

Who knows how low the voltage actually is when the idiot light pops on.

The light might be coming on because of a poor connection at the battery. This could cause under charging. Since the engine and internal electronics all run off the alternator when the car is running, I doubt that is the issue. Did you know that the only real purpose of the battery is to run the starter motor? It also just pulls double duty running electronics when the engine is off.