im new to this forum so i hope im putting this in the proper thread....

i get this message when i start the car after its been sitting long enough (over night) the car starts and drives fine with no problems, the message along with the little red battery light only stay on for about 20 seconds or so and then it goes away, i changed the oil myself couple days ago from when i started to have this problem also, ive seen on other post that if spilling oil while putting it in can cause it to go into the alt. also i clean and scrubbed the engine bay with water a day after the oil change, (something is telling me this could be the problem) ALSO: some have even said the serpentine belt may be a bit off track some how? causing the problem as well...

i just dont know if this is is all happening from some spilled oil or from all the water works that i did under the hood, or just bad timing of failure

(CAR IS A 1999 YEAR) put 1991 for some reason.....

 

i cant see the serpentine or the oil doing this.
how long ago did the engine get the shower?



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Have battery and charging system tested, could be a weak battery. Some auto parts test it for free. Also check battery cables and connections.

 

i did it a few days ago from when i started to have the problem, the battery is going on 6 years old also....

if it is the alternator some say you just cant use any brand named alternator, you would have to use a AC Delco one which aint cheap. i regular alt would work but you would still have the message? something to do with miss-communication's

 

Bought my alternator from advance auto parts, works fine and didn't cost as much as 1 from the dealer

 

Had the same message "battery not charging" Went to information button on dash( information read outs for coolant temp--voltage-- next oil change index. push until you see "voltage" Mine read 11.5 volts. The alternator should put out around 14 volts. A trip to auto zone for a free check confirmed my alternator was failing. Follow Slowrolls advice have a auto store check it out. If alternator and battery check out belt may need replacing. I am very careful when spraying in engine area avoid high pressure spray around electrical connections. 6 years is about all you can expect from a battery it's had a long life if that's what it turns out to be. good luck let us know what you find out. The alternator I put on was a AC delco which had a lifetime warranty from 10 years ago, lucky me and an old recept.