How long can a battery last without a functioning alternator?
The answer to this depends on the age of the vehicle. If we are talking about a really old car from about the 1970’s and earlier, you could run the engine for days if you don’t turn on any lights or run the heater or radio, because the only thing other than lights, the cabin blower, or the radio in an old vehicle is the spark ignition, which needs very little energy at all to function.,These early engines used a fan that was direct-driven by the engine, but they would overheat easily if the engine sat idling for long periods, because a slow fan doesn’t move much air through the radiator.Newer vehicles changed from having a cooling fan direct-driven by the engine, to using a separate electric fan with a thermostat that cycles on and off as needed. These can tolerate long periods of idling without overheating, but it increases the load on the electrical system.,There was also a transition from carbureted engines to electronic fuel injection, which added more electric load in newer vehicles. Carbureted engines typically used a simple cam-driven fuel pump that delivered low pressure fuel in surges to fill the carburetor float bowl.But fuel injection requires a constant pressure fuel rail to assure consistent injector results. This is delivered by a fuel pump in the gas tank that runs continuously with the engine running to provide a constant high pressure to the injectors so that they work properly.,Computers in modern vehicles do not use much power by themselves, but they are commonly used to control magnetic solenoids and servos, which may control the engine timing, or change the number of valves that open in cylinders, or change the throttle body shape, or control shifting in electromagnetic clutch packs in an automatic transmission.All of this adds up to increased power consumption in a modern vehicle that will reduce the time a battery can continue to function without the alternator, even if all the marker and headlight lamps are turned off.
Can you find a good, used car for under $1000?
You can't find a good car for $1000, but you can find plenty of "good for $1000" cars.The strategy here is to find something that runs now, and maximize the chances that you can get 6-12 additional months' use out of without making a major repair. In net this comes out much cheaper than making a car payment, but you'd better have an extra $1000 in the bank because you may need another one just like it in three years, or in a week.This strategy works somewhat better if you have $2-3K to spend, but really you are looking for the cheapest possible car that meets these criteria:Starts and runs without obvious wrong noises or clouds of oil smokeShifts without hesitation into all gears including reverseHas no outstanding safety issues (missing seat belts or airbags, non-working brakes, exhaust leaks, broken axles)Has no difficult-to-fix issues that would make it illegal or uninsurable (ie. missing or modified catalytic converter where these are inspected yearly, or lack of a title)Make doesn't matter, odometer mileage doesn't matter (high mileage is actually better in a $1000 car). Looks don't matter. You can't have pride and drive a $1K car, sorry.A great idea for a car like this is to negotiate a final test drive of 50+ miles (highway and stop and go) over the course of an hour or so (agreeing to pay for the gas). If the car survives this without overheating or other disasters, it is likely to do it every day for some time to come. It’s also a good way to get a real feel for what it’s going to be like living with this particular beast.You may have to kiss a few frogs, but eventually you will find your prince of a jalopy.At this point your mission in life is to keep that sucker running as long as possible without dropping major dollars into it. Replace any suspect batteries, belts and hoses up front, don't wait for a failure which could kill a car on the edge. Know how to check and fill all fluids and do that often. Drive it often, every day if possible. This is your mileage mule, whip it mercilessly.Keep a cell phone in your pocket and (again) money in the bank. When something goes wrong that will cost more than $150 to fix (belts, hoses and batteries again; something like an alternator replacement is a reasonable stopping point here), call your local charity, take the tax write off, and move on.
Why does the steering wheel lock up while driving?
What Causes the Steering Wheel to Lock Up? | eHow Losing control of your car's steering is a terrifying experience, one that can lead to a crash with horrific consequences. If this happens to you, then you must try to bring your vehicle to a stop at once and determine the cause of steering wheel lock-up before you drive your car again. There are a number of reasons why your car's steering has suddenly locked up including:Key MechanismNot every steering wheel problem occurs when you have the transmission engaged and are heading down the road. Sometimes, drivers report that their steering wheel stays locked even after inserting the key into the ignition. When that happens, the car probably cannot be started let alone driven. More than likely the key assembly has worn out and needs to be replaced. However, before calling your auto mechanic, try to move the wheels to the left and to the right as sometimes the steering column "catches," a problem that can be resolved if you jiggle the wheel.Lock PinGeneral Motors issued a pair of recalls for the C5 Chevrolet Corvette (1997-2004 models) due to problems with locked steering. In addition to being locked while starting, owners complained that in some cases their cars could be driven but with no control of steering. This problem is due to a lock pin that fails to withdraw fully, allowing contact between the pin and lock plate. Visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) website (see Resources) for information about recalls #04006B and #04006C or call your Chevrolet dealer.ConclusionWhile the three causes mentioned here are among the top reasons why a steering wheel may lock up, there could be other reasons. Contact an auto mechanic for assistance, or if you are handy with repairs, consult a Haynes or Chilton repair manual (or anything similar) for guidance.
Why is my car shaking and the check engine light flashing?
A shaking vehicle AND flashing MIL ("check engine light") sound like the vehicle is misfiring on at least one cylinder. As @Anna Nguyen, @Brendan Sinclair, @Antoun Nabhan and others have said, it could be an ignition related problem. It could also be fuel-related. If one or more fuel injectors are clogged or dead, that would also cause a misfire in the affected cylinder(s). These are relatively cheap/easy things to check and fix.Other causes (which could be more complicated and more expensive) to fix include contaminated fuel, a bent intake or exhaust valve, a broken valve spring, a damaged piston/connecting rod, and on and on.I recommend getting a scan tool and checking the codes which are causing the MIL to light/flash and I also strongly recommend NOT driving the vehicle until the problem is fixed. If you continue to drive the vehicle as is, you will exacerbate the problem. Dumping unburned fuel into the exhaust due to a misfire will overheat and kill your catalytic converter. A more serious problem like a bent valve can eventually cause you to crater your engine (i.e.: completely destroy the engine).