I have had the alternator changed twice. I tried another in case my first one was not good. My alternator is not producing any electricity or charging the battery, even though my battery light is on. Sometimes, though, generally after the car has been sitting for more than ten hours, I power it up, and everything functions perfectly—the battery is at 14.5 volts. Up till I turn off the ignition, it will function. The battery indicator is on and the alternator is not charging the battery when I restart it. The battery is only three months old and passed tests well. Duralast Gold alternator, brand new. The fuse works well. Is a relay in place? It seems like I can not find one to fit the alternator. Does anyone know of any guidance?
Replacing the alternator twice and still having this issue is incredibly annoying. It sounds like there’s an intermittent electrical gremlin hiding somewhere.
While relays aren’t super common in alternator circuits, it’s worth checking.
However, the fact that everything works perfectly after a long rest points to a more complex issue.
I’d suggest a deeper electrical system diagnosis at a Kia dealership. They have specific tools and knowledge to pinpoint problems like this.
A while back, I dealt with a similar issue after replacing the alternator twice in my car, yet it still wouldn’t charge the battery consistently. Like you, my battery light stayed on, and the alternator wasn’t producing electricity, but sometimes, after sitting for hours, everything worked fine—voltage at 14.5 volts—until I turned the car off. After ruling out the battery and fuse, I dug deeper and found that the issue was with the alternator relay, which was intermittently failing. In some cars, this relay can be tricky to locate, but it’s crucial for proper charging. I suggest checking the relay or even wiring connections between the alternator and the battery, as a loose connection or faulty relay could be the culprit.
Kia alternators seem to deteriorate batteries over time due to their weakness. After receiving a replacement battery, the shop diagnosed the 2014 Soul owned by my wife as having a faulty alternator and provided a quotation of $1000 to replace it. Even though I replaced the alternator myself, it only charged at 13V, same like the original. I tested an aftermarket one, and the problem persisted. It appears that Kia alternators have low output.
In addition, there have been additional issues, such as a dealer damaging an engine by improperly replacing the oil plug. We had to cope with a month of inconvenience, but happily it was covered under warranty. We’re not buying a Kia in the future!