If you depleted your battery completely then it might be fried. After some time the steering goes hard as well, indicating loss of power steering. The battery, in concert with alternator, helps run all the electrical systems and accessories in your car, including the ignition and engine control systems. Since the serpentine belt keeps the air conditioner functional, a bad serpentine belt will take that function away from it. A malfunctioning air conditioner can be attributed to a lot of things. There’s better I’ve had three batteries replaced and alternator checked over the last year and a half but … There is plenty of refrigerant in the system. It does not have an effect on the air conditioner. The drive belt will control and provide power to the alternator, water pump, and air conditioner compressor. If the alternator fails, all the accessories like headlights, air conditioning and most importantly, the car ignition system will eventually fail. By Eric Goeres February 1, 2017 Once the alternator has been replaced, the air conditioning is likely to work again. I had an alternator replaced and now my air conditioner isn't working, specifically blowing hot air. If the serpentine belt breaks down or is damaged, the car won’t be able to drive. In comparison, typical headlights are also about a 10A draw, a defroster can pull up to 15A, and air conditioning typically draws more than 20A. Similarly, hot climates see the heaviest use of air conditioning and fan use. Cooling is abysmal. I got a message on my dashboard that battery had no charge. If your alternator is failing, this can cause many electronics in your vehicle to quit working. It may start the car, but left parked for two weeks it wouldn't. This includes the engine, the air conditioning, the radio, the windows, etc. I was driving my 1996 Cadillac Deville yesterday and lost power steering air-conditioning. If you turn on your air conditioner and see that it does not blow out cool air from the air vents, this could possibly be due to a bad serpentine belt. I have lost all faith in the garage I am going to. When an alternator is going bad, its output can be irregular. With the A/C on, the alternator outputs 10-12 V, the battery symbol lights up, and a 'Check Alternator' warning shows up on my display. How Much Alternator Amperage Do You Need? Put the battery on a charger. And if you left your lights on for only an hour it would be dead. Forget jump starters, they only work if your battery doesn't quite have the amps to turn it over. All of these put an alternator through its paces. My Thoughts The alternator outputs ~14.5 V with the A/C off. A bad alternator will cause a battery to go bad. Most basic audio components don't draw too much amperage. Alternator serves only one purpose, making power to keep your battery healthy and the engine running. The alternator produces electricity that is stored in the battery. You may need to replace the alternator and the battery. That is usually from a bad alternator that does not charge the battery. So, it’s very important that you know and learn to read symptoms indicating a bad alternator, as they will ensure that you are not stranded and left high and dry, when your alternator stops working. If you try to run the engine without the drive belt working, the engine would overheat, since the water pump isn’t working. If the battery was old, and now it's been dead a couple of times, it's ruined. The alternator is belt-driven by the engine and produces an … For instance, a standard head unit with a built-in amp might draw less than 10A. Most noticeably, headlight output may fluctuate between bright and dim, or remain dimmer than usual. What an alternator does and what to look for in a failing unit—plus, a simple test that can tell you if the alternator is sick or the battery is dying. Signs Of A Malfunctioning Alternator. AC not working after alternator replacement... 2 Answers.