i currently use a Mazda 626 2002 model. the car has been very loyal to me since i bought in 2010 giving me little problems. however, on Saturday, following persistent some noise from the engine belt. i was asked to drop some water on it which helped in stopping d noise. however, i noticed that my battary was running down. i coulndt use d AC without the car coming to a complete stop. i have changed the alternator twice still the car wont take me through a 10 km journey without running down the battery. what else could be responsible. please help. its driving me crazy. my life activities have almost grounded due to this problem. Siena and other car experts, i need your expertise and diagnosis, please

silica: i currently use a Mazda 626 2002 model. the car has been very loyal to me since i bought in 2010 giving me little problems. however, on Saturday, following persistent some noise from the engine belt. i was asked to drop some water on it which helped in stopping d noise. however, i noticed that my battary was running down. i coulndt use d AC without the car coming to a complete stop. i have changed the alternator twice still the car wont take me through a 10 km journey without running down the battery. what else could be responsible. please help. its driving me crazy. my life activities have almost grounded due to this problem. Siena and other car experts, i need your expertise and diagnosis, please

Water indeed! The person that asked you to pour water on the auxiliary belt, did he forget to tell you what would happen if water enters Alternator? I guess he did not. Water is a main killer of Alternator. What a hard way to learn that. Thats why i always tell people who are always running to car wash for their engines to be pressure washed with water. A lot of people i know have had Alternator failure, few days after washing of engines at car wash. Always make sure you cover your Alternator with plastics leather bag before washing your engine. And its not safe to wash with pressurized water. Hand cleaning engine with sponge and slowly sprinkling water on the engine is better. I would rather live with dirty looking engine than pressure wash my engine. Have never done that and i dont plan to in future.

Back to your issue, few things to check:

1. Are you sure the auxiliary belt (Alternator belt) is connected in the right direction? If its wrongly placed on the Alternator, the belt will drive it wrongly and it will be discharging, instead of charging, i think. Look for another Mazda 626 2000 model, with the same engine. Check how the auxiliary belt run on crankshaft pulley,PAS pulley, AC compressor pulley, Alternator pulley & roller(s). If possible, take pics, and compare with yours.

2. How are you sure the auto electrician who replaced the Alternator connected the wires on the Alternator correctly?

3. Get a DMM (Digital MultiMeter), set it to 20 volts, start the car, place the DMM red lead on the battery positive terminal and the DMM black lead on the battery negative terminal. You should be getting 13.70v - 14. 30v or so on the DMM, while engine is running. If you switch on AC, it will drop to 13.50v - 13.70v or so, but wont go beyond 14v. But if it drops below 13v, whether with AC on or not, then the Alternator is not charging the battery, simple.

4. Is the auxiliary belt well tensioned?

Try these test and get back to us. But others may have better suggestions, though.


Ikenna.

Go with Ik's advice first and feed the forum back.

Hand cleaning engine with sponge and slowly sprinkling water on the engine is better. I would rather live with dirty looking engine than pressure wash my engine. Have never done that and i dont plan to in future.

That's my own idea since i started driving. I only wash the outside and inside the vehicle. I learnt my lessons in 2001 with a 230E benz.

ikenna has said it all........the solution to ur problem has been thoroughly analysed...

my 4 yr old car...i never steam washed the engine!..some folks say am a dirty SOB when they see my engine bay..but i dont care....who looks at the engine anyway?

hope the alternator that was installed is the exactly the type and model like the one they removed,it happened to me b4 and they installed another model of alternator for my car and i kept having problem with battery, iwas already looking for money to buy another battery but tank God,they got the model of the former alternator and since then,bye bye to battery wahala

Am most grateful to you all for the suggestions so far. i strongly believe that if we extend the same helping hand you have shown here to our everyday life as a country, Nigeria will be the most beautiful place to live on earth.
update on the matter:
This morning the electrician turned on the Ac and the battery light showed again. but when he reved the engine hard, the light disappeared but the auxiliary belt started smoking and eventually broke. so Mr. Ikenna, you seem to be on point. we are trying to change the rollers and see how it goes.
please stay with me on this thread as i will be needing your help this this problem is finally over. in the meantime, i am proud on you all. thank you so much for your assistance so far.

good evening my brothers, fellow niaralanders and proud Nigerians. i wish to report that after changing the rollers that house the auxiliary and alternator belt, the situation seems to have changed. i will be risking a drive home this evening with the car and am hoping for the best. Initial assessment shows it may hold after all. meanwhile, the electrician has promised to change the alternator to a bigger one to match the one he removed since its a V6 with AC. ones again. i appreciate you all. may you always find a helping hand when you need it. i shall update you all when this ordeal is finally put to rest. i have also learnt my lesson: better a dirty engine than a bad alternator.