'90 Buick - had alternator rebuilt, now wont start! (selling, replacing, battery)

[Tennesseestorm]

The alternator on my work car ( 1990 Buick Century with the 3.3L) started making a rattling noise, so my dad took it off and to a reputable shop to have new bearings installed. Got it back, put it on and now the car will not start! The battery is fine. When turned to "start" the warning lights just dim down, no other action or noise. The headlights dont even dim down that much. Its like there is no power to the starter. We thought perhaps it was something they did wrong with the alternator, so we took it back and they checked it and said it was fine and not the cause of the car not turning over. All connections are correct (only has two) and are tight. Battery cables are tight.

The car was starting fine before the alternator was taken in, so not sure whats going on now?? Any clues?

Thanks.

[Tennesseestorm]

oh boy... this is going to be a tough one. We are going to have to work on that one, thats a tough one.

[teach1234]

Check battery voltage first, then charge if low. I think that's your problem.

[texdav]

If the alternator went out and you did not charge the battery with a charger its likely the battery is dead. that is what the altewrnator does ; keep the battery charged.

[Tennesseestorm]

Thanks for the replies.

Well, the alternator was actually charging, it never went out. It just started rattling one day and I stopped driving it and removed it and had new bearings installed. The car would never even crank over after that. When you try to engage the starter with the lights on, they do not even dim down... the dash lights do, but not the headlights. Battery is fully charged. Sure is a mystery.

I am thinking of selling the car back to the original owner (the lady that was going to be my step sisters grandmother-in-law) for $300.

[Omaha Rocks]

Do you hear a "click" when you turn the key and try to engage the starter?

[Tennesseestorm]

Originally Posted by Omaha Rocks

Do you hear a "click" when you turn the key and try to engage the starter?

Nope. Only the dash warning lights dim down.

[Omaha Rocks]

Originally Posted by Tennesseestorm

Nope. Only the dash warning lights dim down.

Does the interior blower fan work? How about the radio?

It's likely that you've either got a battery connection problem, or a dud battery.

If it were my car, the first thing I'd do is clean up & tighten all battery connections. If that didn't solve it, I'd pull the battery and swap one (temporarily) out of another car.

I always try to work the cheap angles first.

[Tennesseestorm]

Thanks. Yeah, everything come on full steam. lol. I actually took the battery off a little while ago for another car I had to move and it started it fine.

Remember this is the car that had the ignition switch bypassed with a toggle switch by my step sisters ex-boyfriend, but the car has started perfectly like that until the alternator was removed... perhaps its something with that and its a rare coincidence that whatever it was happened when we had new bearings put in the alternator?

We have had a shower of car problems this week... except my Lincoln and dads Nissan truck, so far so good (knock on wood)

[tripod]

Did you try jump starting with good thick cables? Like other poster said bad alts will wear down battery and I'd try that or replacing with known good battery or putting a charge on battery and try again.