I have a 2005 xb and recently the battery dash light started blinking/stayed on from time to time. I replaced the battery ...same issue...i got the alternator checked and it's fine.....the other night i was traveling home and i had my invertor and radar detector plugged in to the cigarette lighter. Well, the dash lights suddenly came on and the headlights started to dim slightly. After a while the car just died and i pulled over...called AAA , etc. ...eventually the hazard lights dimmed and the battery completely died.

My question is: if the alternator and battery are fine...what could be the problem?? is it a connection issue (seems to be a few wires attached to the alternator?). Also, i used a voltmeter with the engine running (today after charging the battery yeaterday) and it read 12.4 then 12.1 with the headlights on.....should be about 14V right?

Any ideas?

 

Yea, when you turn on the car, the battery should read higher. I'd say 14v sounds about right.

Are you sure all your grounds are properly connected?

I had two similar issues. The first was a bad ground, and the second was an accessory I had wired into the car, that was pulling power even when the car was off. I wired it wrong, lol.

Sure the alternator is fine? I would have it double checked, just to be sure.

 

With the headlights on, and a/c on full blast, my voltmeter is reading 13.5V all the time. It seems that your alternator is dead. Good luck.

 

I've had a scanguage in my car for the last 4 years and the voltage always sits around 13.5-13.9v

Even when the battery was going bad the voltage was the same.

Three of the known issues with the Gen1 xB's have been water pump, power steering pump, and alternator. All issues have ranged from whining/bearing noises to complete failures.

If you've replaced the battery and checked voltage while the car is running and it reads anything less than 13.4v without load then check wires (ground/power, etc). Also make sure the terminal connections at the battery are clear of oxidation and acid residue. I personally had a similar issue that was simply resolved by cleaning the battery terminals and checking all the wires.

Please excuse the grammer and spelling, I'm on a mobile phone... LOL

 

If your alternator is fine check out your invertor, you said it was on and could be the cause of your power loss.

 

Make sure sure your ground strap is not rusted and is firmly bolted.