Alternator, Battery.. and o2..what else

[Jay 3rd]

so i've searched on here for a good 35 minutes now trying to see if anyone had similar problems, which they're close but not what i was looking for as the solution does not match mine.
So i Have a 99 SLE. i go to start my car and all you hear is Click click click.. i check the terminals and make sure everything is tightened and it's all good clean and all.
my neighbor give me a jump and it starts right up. i notice it sounds like the car wants to stall though but after warm up, it runs fine. but the lights are dimmed and when i tap the gas pedal the brighten back up. so i get my battery tested and it passed, (puts out 12.55 volts)
i go to O'Reillys and get my alternator tested and its at 10 volts. i was like oh wow, and ended up replacing it (which by the way that lower bolt und the tension is a annoying, i can only get quarter turns at a time)
so i install the new alternator and drive the car for about 20 minutes highway (i live in Phoenix AZ there are highways everywhere) i get home turn the car off and try to turn the car back on (no A/C, no radio or lights) and all you hear is click click click.. you got to be kidding me. my neighbor give me a jump again this time it takes about a minutes with the cables on like the battery had been dead a long time. i go back to O'Reillys and get the alternator and battery tested. Bettery good, but the ALternator is bad, said it only draws 9 volts on the start and said Voltage Regulator failed.
so i retuen it and get a different one and i just finished puttting it in today 2 hours ago. i test it while it''s there and everything passed and drew 13.9 Volts. still the dash lights seem dim and brighten up only when i accelerate still.. i drive it on the highway 40 minutes and get home and i tried to turn it back on and same thing again.. click click click..
if the battery is passing and the alternator is passing and the car starts right up on a jump. i dont know what it is.
i was told to start the car and take off the postive cable while it's on and it if the car turns off bad Alt, if it stays on good Alt.

also i just failed emissions and the code came back P0171 Bank 1 (2) which im guessing bank 1 sensor 2. where is that located? is there a diagram i can see? because i thought i found one but the locations seems wrong and the senors and bank seem wrong .

now if there is an answer to this already please point me in that direction and i apologize for this thread

[corlon]

I would have the alternator tested again. even on the car. just test the voltage while running. its possible something is shorting it out in your vehicle. don't think you o2 code is related.

[Jay 3rd]

ah sorry the 02 was a seperate issue, my fault lol.
but i had the Alternator tested while installed and it pulled 13.5 - 14... so i had it jumped around 9 pm AZ time. and i went back to get it tested.. on the way there same thing, dimmed lights and brighten when i accelerate. but if i turn the AC they pulsate. when i got there we tested the start as well.. he said it tested at 290 Amps on the start up and said that was real high. also the Alternator failed. it said "Voltage Reg-Fail"
we also examined the battery cables and on the positive cable about 5 inches from the actual connection there is a small slit that shows the wiring. he said it looked corroded slightly and that could be the problem. also to test my starter. the battery tested good. but it seems like it doesn't hold a charge. so i dont know anymore, my brain is fried. i wasted my last bit of money on this alternator and an O2 sensor that seems to be the wrong one. ( i bought a Bosch part # 13355)
about 3 months ago i replaced All 4 struts, both front Axels, Radiator, and steering rack. 1 year ago i put a used 1mz engine in straight from Japan with only 40K miles on it from AKINA motorsports in Tempe. everything was running great and new till this. as soon as i think im done something new pops up.

And off topic, i haven't posted in a while because i was Diagnosed with Cancer 18 months ago and been battling since.. i just finally beat it 2 months ago, so im 2 months cancer free. although this stress doesnt come close to cancer it's still frustrating lol.

[Jay 3rd]

ok so on the test it keep saying Voltage Regulator Failed. and they asked if mine was External from the alternator. i honestly dont know. i thought it was built in. but i look on autozone and they sell one for $192. so is the Voltage Regulator external for the Solara? Or is it built in the Alternator? and if it's external where is it lol? because that seems to be the root of my problems. someone said built in and the part is only $30 but then why would autozonesell one for $192 and oreillys sell one for $135

[PlateLunch]

Congrats and keep up the fight against the C bro! Replace or cover that cable with tape so it doesn't short. I am pretty sure the voltage regulator is on the inside of the alternator, I just put a new one in my girls Highlander. If that alternator you bought was new, the regulator should be fine, if it isn't get your money back as you shouldn't have to buy a new alt and put a new regulator in it . Try looking up a dedicated auto electric place that all they do is rebuild alternators, take it into there and they will give you the straight up. They might even be able to replace the reg in-house. If your battery is not holding a charge it could possibly have blown the regulator, so if there is any chance the battery is messed up you should replace that too. Or at least throw another one in and see what happens...good luck!

[Jay 3rd]

the first alternator was defective... blahhh. 2nd one was good. but i still had the same problem. it was a mysterious problem with the battery (wal-mart) that their test couldnt read or find out. but i borrowed a friends batter and car was perfectly fine, so when i gave Wal-mart the battery (dead) they charged it for an hour and a half and it didnt hold the charge, which 3 days before it did fine. i dont know it was weird. but they replaced the battery under warranty so it was free of charge and the car is perfectly fine and running good now.

and hey Platelunch thanx for the feedback and congrats, i really appreciate that

[Jay 3rd]

oh and yes the Voltage regulator is inside the alternator lol

[corlon]

glad you got to the bottom of it. sucks to chase problems with money.