Somebody Please Help Me Out Here!!!!!!!!!!

Ok...well I just recently started having trouble with my car. At about 4 am the other day my Mom woke me up because she heard my alarm. When I went outside it was whining really really low. The next day I went to go start my car and all I heard was clicking. I then used my battery charger and charged the battery...and the car started right up. But I noticed that my turn signals slowed down a lot and my heater blew out very low. The car drove fine for a few days, but I really didn't use the car that much, since I was afraid I would possibly get stranded somewhere. But while I was driving my alarm went off out of nowhere. I didn't think this was possible at all. So I figured that I would just shut the alarm off with the kill switch I have, in order to see what happens. Later that night at my friend's house I went to start the car and the alarm went off, yet I shut it off earlier with the kill switch. The next day I went to work...and it drove fine there..but later on that night when I got off the car wouldn't start. So I called my Dad to come give me a jump(since I was in the parking lot at my job). The car would jump, and then die out right away. After one of my customers ended up being a AAA employee and used one of those portable battery chargers to get my car going..and luckily it made it home. I then charged the battery again...and somebody told me to remove the positive battery cable in order to check the alternator. I did that and the car died. So I figured it could be my alternator. But is it possible that there may be a short in my alarm that killed my alternator and battery?? I just charged it like ten minutes ago to get the car running, since I made an appointment with a mechanic that specializes in electrical components. The car is now running as I type...and while the alarm kill switch is off...the car alarm keeps going off(well it puts off the warning beeps). The alarm on this car is very sensitive...and it has auto start, auto page, trunk release, and the power windows roll up by themselves when the alarm is set. Could all these options on the alarm be causing the short?? The previous owner had the alarm installed and I love it, but it seems to be causing some kind of problem. The owner lives across the street from me and never had problems with it. Is there anything else that I should check out first?? If I need a new alternator...then they were in the $200 range...but I figured that I would go for a higher output alternator..since I will be installing a system in the car shortly. I looked into putting one in from a newer Taurus or a '94 Cobra...but I am only 18..and have no experience with welding or grinding..and I dont have the tools to do so. Please help me out if you can. I would like to thank you for your replies in advance.

James

First thing NEVER pull the battery cable off with it running! It is not an accurate test anyways. And worse it sends a voltage spike through the electrical system. It can pop the diodes in the alt and then it will dischage when ever the car sits. The alarm could be you first problem and causing other problems to occur.
Wes

some car alarms will go off if the voltage drops too low or altogether. These type usually have a small battery backup within the system. Reason is so that the alarm can sound even if power was cut like in snipping the battery cable. You may have something running your battery down as the car sits. There was a recent thread about the antilock brake motor running on and killing the battery. Have the battery and the alternator checked. If in good working order, start checking for things that do not turn off when they should.

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1987 TC Black out, red in. Tag: TC BIRD 7.
1963 Jag Mark 10 getting 5.0 transplant.
1975 MG Midget. wife's car.
2001 PT Cruiser. Hey, its retro!
fave quote:"No man is a failure who has friends." Clarence the angel.

[This message has been edited by kellyb (edited 01-18-2003).]

Go to someplace like AutoZone or Advanced and have them check it out. They have a machine that will check the voltage of the alternator and the battery seperate. If the alternator isn't charging the battery, the car will run off what juice that's in the battery. Once the battery doesn't have enough juice to run the stuff in the car, it will die. Your kinda temporarily solving your problem by charging the battery.
When you charge the battery, it now has juice again...so, the car runs off of it until it get's low again. It's gonna keep happening if you don't get it fixed. DON'T take it to a mechanic! Do like I said to see if one of those are bad. If so, replace it. That will be MUCH cheaper than paying for a mechanic to tell you it's the alternator and charging you $250 for a $200 alternator, plus labor!
Don't let the alarm thing scare you in thinking it's something else. Check the simple things FIRST! When my battery was going out, my alarm would do that too.
Good luck and let us know what you find out.

JONESER

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87 Turbo Coupe, 5-speed, boost at 18 PSI, K&N in finder, tangerine paint, shaved door handles, locks and emblems, painted interior trim(same as exterior), tiger print headliner, visors and door panels, Autometer gauges, 5.6" monitor & Playstation 2, lowered, white pony wheels...did I forget anything?
90 Notchback--Forsale..$1500!