So here's the story. My fiance left for 2.5 weeks and my car sat at our house. We come back and I decide to go fishing with some family. I took my car and drove 80 miles. We fished and when it came time to leave my battery was dead. I got a jump and drove the other 80 miles back. Parked the car till the next day. I had to jump the car again. So I took it to autozone and had them test the battery and alternator. Test I believe may have been performed wrong. Said bad battery but 100% charge and bad alternator. So I bought a new battery and got a new alternator. Started the car and let it run. I came back out side and the car was idling weird and smoke came from the driver headligh. I turned it off. I couldnt get the car to start back up. On a different day I jumped it again and it ran while the jumpers where still connected. So I let it charge and started it. I disconnect the battery and the car does. I replaced the alternator again and same thing. I'm pulling codes across all systems for high and low voltage. I can update what codes I have. My car is 2012 dodge avenger 2.4l with approximately 145k miles. At this point I have no idea what I'm doing. I think it could possibly be the pcm not regulating the alternator. But before I get myself in that headache I was hoping to get some intel from you guys.
Sparten1181
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7,589 Posts
The smoke from the headlamp area was your clue to TROUBLE. Wiring harness and TIPM/ fuse panel along with your PCM(ECM) need to be checked very closely. I'm on a forum for the Dodge Journey make(same basic platform) and there was just a similar situation posted there. No resolution to the fix just yet(owner still in dismay).
Burnt electricals are not easy to track and fix properly on modern cars, it may be time to seek professional help.
Burnt electricals are not easy to track and fix properly on modern cars, it may be time to seek professional help.
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The mentioned Journey of my reply was PARKED and another vehicle bought. You should NEVER disconnect the battery and run the engine on todays highly computerized control vehicles. All those codes relate to ECM AND BCM troubles. Complete wiring inspection for melted/broken wiring, good clean ground connections at battery,body and powertrain MUST be done before spending BIG money for new computer modules. This could also have affected the anti theft controls also....Sorry to say but you're in a pretty big pickle with this problem.
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I have been seeing similar situations of actual POOR battery connections happening lately. Seems like overall that you "dodged a bullet" in it turning out to be just that.
SO MANY TIMES when I and others say to check and clean battery connections for problems that many people either dismiss out of hand or do not do proper diligence doing that. I even got caught with my dads Buick recently that even though a good and tight connection to both terminals was there, that somehow the chassis ground wire of the 3 wire neg cable would not complete the circuit. I found this by adding a ground wire from the cable clamp to another chassis point...and lo and behold all electrics came back.
When having electrical problems, the first thing to do is always go back to the basics and be sure of primary power and GROUND points AND cable integrity.
SO MANY TIMES when I and others say to check and clean battery connections for problems that many people either dismiss out of hand or do not do proper diligence doing that. I even got caught with my dads Buick recently that even though a good and tight connection to both terminals was there, that somehow the chassis ground wire of the 3 wire neg cable would not complete the circuit. I found this by adding a ground wire from the cable clamp to another chassis point...and lo and behold all electrics came back.
When having electrical problems, the first thing to do is always go back to the basics and be sure of primary power and GROUND points AND cable integrity.
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