Clutch replaced, now a battery message..coincidence?

[Creo]

(This is longer than I wanted, quick summary at the bottom!)

About 2 weeks ago I finished replacing the clutch in my 02 Saturn SL, and everything was rolling along fine until thursday night about 40 hours ago.

I started the car up at work, 13 miles from my house, midpoint b/t home and my intended destination, pulling out of the subdivision I noticed the battery light was on, this is a new experience for me so I head home canceling the evening plans. The lights start to dim on the dash and headlights, it's dark out, and the car sputters a bit, but there's not much traffic and I'd like to make it into the 3 mile AAA towing range at least, well 3/4ths mile from the house it dies just as I crest the last hill and she coasts all the way home.

Take the battery in to Autozone and they pronounce it DOA. Sams is nice enough to replace it no questions asked, it has 6 month's left on the 3 year warrenty.

Yesterday heading back to work the battery light is on..don't think it was on when I started the car and left the drive after putting the new battery in. Is there some fuse I have to reset to get this light to go away? Had to get to work if possible so I headed on keeping my eye on the lights to pull over if they started to dim but they stayed up. Same thing on the way home after work.

Heading back to autozone to have them check the alternator, and I'm posting here to see if there's anything specific the "Great Saturn Minds" on this forum would be able to point at for me to check on. I did just do the clutch replacement a couple weeks ago.

Thanks in advance.
Rob

Summary! sorry for the length:
Battery light came on 40 hours ago, car made it home but barely coasting last part of the way. Replaced a Autozone declared "bad battery". New battery in the car and the light came on shortly after leaving the drive. It stayed on for trip to and from work but no noticible dimming of dash or headlights. Two weeks ago I changed my clutch out and have driven 300+miles since. Heading to Autozone now for an alternator test.

[OldNuc]

Sounds like the old battery killed off your alternator before it quit. They tend to have a mutual suicide pact if you do not keep an eye on them.

[Creo]

my understanding is that I can pull the alternator and take it in for them to test, for a definitive answer before buying a new one..is this something that you'd recommend pullin from car graveyard?

[OldNuc]

No, If teh alternator is bad then you wan t either a custom rebuild or a new one. There may be an automotive electric shop in your area that will rebuild your old one. That is the cheapest approach. If the car is drivable you can get a rough test with it in place. The problem is that he rough test does not check diode leakage current and that is a battery killer. But usually if you have reverse leakage you also have low output, justifies the in place test.

[Creo]

pulling alternator now, just want to put this back out there:

I have recently replaced my clutch and want to know if there's anything specific that has been known to be assembled incorrectly to cause the alternator not to connect to the battery properly.

[rc1488]

Originally Posted by Creo

pulling alternator now, just want to put this back out there:

I have recently replaced my clutch and want to know if there's anything specific that has been known to be assembled incorrectly to cause the alternator not to connect to the battery properly.

You should have left it in the car and done a simple voltage test following Richpins video

Anyway, the answer is no. If you did the replacement correctly there should be no reason the alternator would die from a clutch swap. No where in any directions is there anything dealing with the alternator.

[Creo]

Thanks again, rollin fine w/ rebuilt alternator.

[adventureoflink]

Originally Posted by Creo

Thanks again, rollin fine w/ rebuilt alternator.

Uh... I'd personally be using a NEW alternator. Rebuilt ones have almost no guarantee as to how long they'll last. I'd personally use the rebuilt alternator until you get a NEW one.

[OldNuc]

If you have your core rebuilt at a quality local shop it will be a better unit than the chinese new ones. And it will be cheaper.

FYI AutoZone is the supplier to many if not all Ford dealerships of warranty replacement alternators.