this is a dilemma and im sure its looking at me right in the face too and im just to oblivious to notice it!
i have a 98 discovery and am having some awesome electrical problems. it started out with my rpm gauge does not read and/or its sporadic(so i thought maybe a short) till i was driving around at night with my headlights on when everything went dim and my SRS light came on and my battery light. turned off all lights and both went off. turned back on later same thing happend lights dimmed and warning lights came on! put off getting a new alternator(oh and by this time i had gotten the battery checked and it checked good, but i didnt really get a good feeling about the guys ability) rpm gage started working again and i didnt have to drive at night for extended periods of time so it didnt happen again till the other night when again everything went dim and the lights came on BUT this time even the 4ways were putting on a drain cause the battery light started blinking and i could feel the engine becomin sluggish as well. turned off the car and tried to restart-battery dead.

so i know that the rpm gauge runs off the alternator, but the alternators only like 7 years old AND this didnt start happening till after i replaced my serpentine belt and i got the belt from advance autoparts so im thinkin that the belt isnt the right size?

i need some other input cause ive only had it a year now and dont know all the little electrical oddities to this vehicle!!!

 

You might have the belt routed incorrectly. There are two ways to install the belt, only one will work.

 

I would second the routing of the belt being the issue. If the belt is actually routed correctly, the next probable is the alternator. If you have a NAPA, many of them have a test stand to check out functioning of your alternator.

 

lol you guys are gonna laugh at me over this one...well when it was replaced before(by myself and an obviously wrong size belt) it was shortly after that when all these weird things started...so basically i had to go to the dealer and spend @$50s to get another belt and it worked like a charm and no problems since!

 

Glad it is sorted now..

 

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