My 1996 Chevy Cavalier broke down last night. It had just been repaired a month earlier, so I was duly pissed. I went to check all the fuses–none blown, but I noticed a confusing problem w/ the engine fuse block:
In the fuse block, there is an empty slot (one with actual metal leads in it to accept a fuse … not one of the empty plastic-only cubbyholes for options I don’t have, etc.). On the fuse box cover, it lists that 10A slot as being for “GEN” – I presume, generator, a term which, to my knowledge, has been replaced by “alternator”.
Here’s the trick: That fuse slot, in the owner’s manual, is unlabeled! No GEN, no nothing.
We just had the alternator replaced, so I’m suspicious that those yahoos at the svc. dept. may have left out a fuse, etc. But could the car even operate w/o the fuse in ??? I shouldn’t think so …
So … can I just stick a 10A fuse in that slot? Will it damage my car if it’s not supposed to be there?
Unless the tow truck is really slow chances are it got to you before this post did.
Anyway, an unconnected fuse won’t do any harm.
What exactly are the symptoms you’re getting? If the alternator is disconnected then the car will run on battery power alone until the battery drains too far and the car dies from lack of spark. Then if you jump start it, it will run again for a short while until that charge on the battery drains too far.
GEN or generator typically refers to a DC generator, but I have seen the term used to apply to anything that generates electricity, including an alternator.
Am I too late? I don’t know what timezone Toadspittle Hill is in.
A fuse either makes a connection or it doesn’t. If the lack of fuse prevents the car from working period, then it’s not the problem (unless it was loose and only just fell out), as you wouldn’t have been able to drive around for a month.
If the lack of fuse was preventing the battery from charging, then surely the red battery warning light would have been on all the time for the last month of driving around and you’d have noticed it(?). If the red battery light comes on after switching on the ignition but before starting the engine, then the warning light is working okay.
By the way, is there any charge in the battery? What exactly was the nature of the breakdown?
Am I too late? I don’t know what timezone Toadspittle Hill is in.
A fuse either makes a connection or it doesn’t. If the lack of fuse prevents the car from working period, then it’s not the problem (unless it was loose and only just fell out), as you wouldn’t have been able to drive around for a month.
If the lack of fuse was preventing the battery from charging, then surely the red battery warning light would have been on all the time for the last month of driving around and you’d have noticed it(?). If the red battery light comes on after switching on the ignition but before starting the engine, then the warning light is working okay.
By the way, is there any charge in the battery? What exactly was the nature of the breakdown?
Thanks for the replies, folks. The car has, indeed, been towed.
Anyway:
That was my assumption. And I doubt it fell out, since the fuse box in question is the one under the hood, which faces up (I’ve had the sideways-facing fuses in the interior fuse panels fall out in other cars … but in this case it seems unlikely).
Yeah, definitely no warning light. What happened was: Car started OK, went for about 2 blocks fine, then the acceleration started to feel soft, and then, when I went to turn the car around to take it back home, it stalled out. I started it up, drove it about a yard, it stalled. We pushed it around for a bit (getting it out of traffic, etc.), I started it again, and it stalled again shortly thereafter. We pushed it as far as we could, 'til we hit a hill. Then we parked it for the night. Next AM, I tried to start it–starter sounded fine, engine never turned over at all, though. All through this, the battery seemed otherwise OK–lights working fine, etc.
We’ll wait and see what the mechanics have to say for themselves. They just charged us nearly $700 to fix the damn thing 6 weeks ago.
Ah toadspittle are you sure you aren’t out of gas? The symptoms you describe would tend to support that theroy.
BTW GEN is the correct term. Starting back in about 1994 the SAE adopted a set of generic terms that all car makers use to prevent confusion. Generator is the correct term for what we used to call an alternator. :dubious: I personally don’t agree with it, but, that is the term.