It came on early in the morning. My plan was to stop by my auto shop on the way home from work and get it checked out. On the way there, the car started to shut down (first the radio display, then the headlights, then the airbag light came on) until it finally died all together. I had the old battery and alternator checked out, both tested good but I swapped out the battery after cleaning the terminals on the old one and the car dying again soon after. After the new battery was installed, it is still giving me the Charging System Failure message, although everything in the car (headlights, cluster, dome light) are all on and significantly brighter. I‘ve looked at the electrical system fuses and none of them appear blown. The only thing I can think of is it is still the alternator or I have a short somewhere that is draining my battery. Any help would be appreciated.
If you took time to read the manual in your glove compartment you'd know that the alternator is not charging between 13.5 - 14.2 volts with the engine running.
Sounds like an alternator issue. You can take it off and have it tested at most auto parts stores.
