1999 Dodge Durango hard to start, stalls when lights on

Tiny
JANET1234
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 DODGE DURANGO
  • V8
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 88,000 MILES
Ny truck got a new water pump and fan belt last week. It started yesterday to not start. Changed the battery termials and the negative teriamal wire and negative ground wire Also cleaned terimals. Had "auto zone store" test the battery and alternatior, they said the battery was a little low (not much) and the alternatior was fine I THINK THAT THE NEW BELT IS NOT TIGHT ENOUGH AND IT IS NOT RECHARGING THE BATTARY< MAKING IT HARD TO START. IT WILL START WITH A BOOSTER PACK, BUT SOMETIMES IT TAKES A COUPLE OF TRYS. Also it stalled before (like just died out) when it put my headlights on, I had to keep my right foot on gas (reving it) and brake with left just to get home, when I turned off the headlights the problem went away and it stayed running. Also the battery gauge in the car returned to above half, with lights and radio on the car stalls and battery gauge drops down. The man who put the new belt and water pump in last week said that I might need a new "tensioner" (the bolt that tightens the belt. This is my question---
do you think its the battery or need a new tensioner so the belt is tigher so it charges the battery better
Please tell me what I should do?
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Monday, July 13th, 2009 AT 9:02 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,005 POSTS
IT sounds like the belt tensionier may be weak causing the belt to slip. Have you checked the belt for tension? If the alt and the battery check out ok, then that would be my guess.

Does the battery die over night?
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Monday, July 13th, 2009 AT 11:38 PM
Tiny
JANET1234
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No the battery does not die over night. Also while in neutral if I race the engine a bit it will not stall
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Tuesday, July 14th, 2009 AT 7:46 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,005 POSTS
I feel your original opinion is correct. The belt isn't tight enough. Chances are the tensioner is weak. When you rev the engine, it keeps things going.
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Wednesday, July 15th, 2009 AT 11:32 AM

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