Jim Grant's Tech Tips
90
Pontiac Grand Prix, ABS System Eating Alternators
Q: Youre not in the ball park at all with your article about
a 91 Chevy Lumina eating alternators for breakfast!. Check the car
model and see if it has ABS brakes. I have a 90 Grand Prix and lost
three alternators. The ABS pump was not turning off and heats up the whole
ignition system causing alternators to fail and the ignition system to
overheat in the switch. It won't start until it cools down. It should
be recalled as a safety defect....Steve
A: This
reader is referring to an article about a ‘91 Chevy Lumina that had 5
failed alternators. Whenever a vehicle is suffering from multiple failures
of the same component, you have to look out of the box for the answer.
Additional electrical loads such as a continually running ABS pump or
mechanical loads (a bad automatic belt tensioner) will shorten an alternator’s
life.
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