Ok about a week ago my 97 protege started to iddle high shortly after the battery light came on in the dashboard, as i step on the gas it went away, a few days later it did again, this time when i started the car in the morning, as i took off the charge alternator light when of, then that after noon, when i left work the alternator battery light stayed on, oh and iddle was hight, i got home i put the volt metter and there was no output coming from the alternator, i when to Autozone yesterday and have them test the alt and it was in fact faulty, i got the new one put it on, and inmediately made a loud squeek noice coming for the belt, the tension was good, then it went away, so i get ready to put my tools away, the alt battery light came back on, i check the output, no output, by the time i walk around the car, the battery light went off, and the car was chargin, so is doing that on an off, i call autozone, they say to bring the unit back to get another, my question is, have any one had a similar problem, or am i gonna have problems with the new unit?

 

i forgot to mention, this morning i started the car and it ran good, the alternator light was off, i when to put the defroster and the loud squeealing came back on, then shorly after went off, then a few seconds later the alt light came back on. this is really weird.

 

Check all connections from the altenator to the underhood fuse block. The fact that the belt is squeeling most likely means the voltage regulator is going fullfield which is an extreme load. A poor connection anywhere in the power/ground circuit could cause this. The main feed wire connectoron the back of the altenator has a tendency to overheat and create a poor connection but a thorough inspection of the wiring is called for.

 

I've run into this before with non OEM generators on these cars. Things to do are as follows:

1. Do as HIXX says above, he's absolutley right. Faulty wiring can cause the generator to Overload.

2. Measure the Voltage. Remember, you have a generator, not an alternator. It puts out DC voltage. It should be putting out between 14.1 and 14.7 V. If this is out of spec, turn on the headlights, Blower, and rear defroster, ONE by ONE, and see if the voltage terminal B,(The one with the nut on the back, not the plug) is adjusting the voltage as the circuits are turned on. If not then chances are you have a faulty generator.
If it ends up being the generator, you might want to get your money back and get your old one professionally rebuilt. It will have you sidelined for a few days, but I've always had the best luck when I have gone this route on my car.

3. Everytime I change belts on mine (1996 ES 1.8L) This happens. I've narrowed it down to a few things. Make sure you've got the belts right. Follow this below.

1. Pulley alignment - Get a long straightedge out and put it on all the pulleys. Be sure they are aligned to each other.

2. Pulley condition - be sure to get them clean. If not you will throw belts. Clean all that belt dressing out and throw away the can. Never use belt dressing on grooved pulleys..

3. Tightness - DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!!!! Deflection for a new A/C - P/S belt should be 8-9mm between the crankshaft and p/s pulleys. Used should be 9-10mm. Generator pulley belt new should be 5.5-7mm, 6-7.5mm used between the generator and the crankshaft. Use the bolt above the generator to adjust. TIP.. Put the new belts on, Drive the car for an hour or so, then readjust. Then repeat the procedure in 3 days. When readjusting in 3 days, use the "used" numbers

4. Belt quality - I always use goodyear gatorback belts. Cheaper brands will just cause headaches


I have a mazda shop manual for this car, so I can help with diagrams and procedures. Just email me what you need and I will try to get it to you.

Good luck..

 

It was the alternator, i took it back to Autozone, they tested one of the box and it was also faulty, i endup going to a diffrent autozone and tested the're unit and tested good, is now on the car running great, thanks for the advice, just anyone make sure if the store offers free testing even if is new have them do the test.

 

Make sure to check the belt tightness in a couple of days, or the squeal might come back...