11-06-2009, 05:33 PM
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#1
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GX Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: nj
Posts: 233
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Alternator
how do u check the alternator?
i think i know 1 way and that would be by disconnecting the battery and if the car dies it means the alternator is bad right?
is there another way?
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11-06-2009, 05:40 PM
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#2
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Female.
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Fort Hood, TX
Posts: 1,809
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take it to autozone!
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2012 Hyundai Veloster - new 40 MPG DD!!
1990 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo 5 speed - "Zeus"
2005 Nissan Titan SE King Cab 4x4 - gas guzzler
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11-06-2009, 05:44 PM
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#3
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GL Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Ottawa, ON. Canada
Posts: 279
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A quick way is to get a multi-meter.. start the car and check and see if the batt. voltage is dropping(slowly). If it is... get a new alt.
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You can lead fools to wisdom... but you can't make them think.
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11-06-2009, 06:57 PM
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#4
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GX Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: nj
Posts: 233
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my radio has a a program that reads the voltage of the battery...
today mornign it dindt want to start but later it did and when i check the voltage of the battery it was very low... it read 10.00...
so what i did was i disconnect the battery when car was running and car died.... so am guessing the alternator is bad... am i right or wrong?
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11-06-2009, 07:53 PM
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#5
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GL Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Abingdon, MD
Posts: 747
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to my knowledge disconnecting the battery while car is on will die regardless, the alternator charges the battery but the car is still drawing the power from the battery, no battery no power. Can anyone back up my logic??
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11-06-2009, 08:04 PM
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#6
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GL Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Ottawa, ON. Canada
Posts: 279
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Yes... battery needs to be connected! a few question...
1. Is it an accurate voltage display?? (showing tenth of a volt?)
2. what did it do when "it didnt want to start"???
3.When it read 10v was the car running??
__________________
You can lead fools to wisdom... but you can't make them think.
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11-06-2009, 09:19 PM
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#7
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GX Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: nj
Posts: 233
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1. yes
2. it didnt do anything... no noise no nothing.... the power completely die when i turn the key
3. yes the car was running ....
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11-06-2009, 09:42 PM
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#8
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Now a Ford Traitor.
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Greenland
Posts: 6,996
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Quote:
Originally Posted by elpuas3000
1. yes
2. it didnt do anything... no noise no nothing.... the power completely die when i turn the key
3. yes the car was running ....
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replace alt, and see what happens
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11-06-2009, 10:07 PM
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#9
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GL Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Abingdon, MD
Posts: 747
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That would be blinding diagnosing. I think the point is to not to spend the money unless it is for sure.
Let the car run parked and monitor the voltage
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11-06-2009, 10:12 PM
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#10
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GL Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Central WA
Posts: 302
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Do yourself a favor and charge the battery before installing the new alternator. Since the battery is already near-death you'd need a jump at least to get going anyhow. If your new alternator sees a dead battery first thing it will go into 'stress' mode and possibly be damaged/overheat right away. All new parts prefer a bit of 'break in' before being fully stressed. IIRC these alts can put out up to 140 amps at full ability which is a lot for an older battery to take.
Trying a different battery that you know is good would be easier to do and allow you to check things also, if the voltage goes down once the engine is started the alternator is not charging. And yes, almost any parts source can test your alternator, usually for free.
Last edited by widbyj : 11-06-2009 at 10:15 PM.
Reason: Added to
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11-06-2009, 10:25 PM
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#11
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GL Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Ottawa, ON. Canada
Posts: 279
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Yep, monitor the voltage first.. after running for 2-3 min. it should drop around 1-2 volts if the alt isnt charging.
When you say the power completely died... did the power return to the lights/interior when you turned the key back?
__________________
You can lead fools to wisdom... but you can't make them think.
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11-06-2009, 11:53 PM
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#12
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636 whp
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: AZ
Posts: 11,895
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autozone dude i'll check your battery with our new AutoMeter starting/charging/battery system tester lol
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11-07-2009, 01:48 AM
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#13
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Soon to be banned again
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Bellmore, NY
Posts: 3,372
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if you dont want to take the alt off the car, you are going to need a clamp on amp meter which can run anywhere up to $250, more then the price of a new one, but if you disconnect everything and take it to autozone they are test it for you
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I shaved my balls for this?
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11-07-2009, 02:59 AM
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#14
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GLS member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Grand Forks, ND for school; Langdon, ND home
Posts: 2,632
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just use a voltage meter. with the car off the batt should be at about 12 volts. with the car running it should be about 14 volts. only method you need to know. if the batt doesn't read about 14 volts with the car running, the alt is shot. plain and simple.
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2001½ F150 XLT Crew Cab- true dual glasspacks with x-pipe, AEM intake, SCT X3 with VMP custom tunes, full stereo system, HID 55w heads and 35w fogs, 35% tint front and 20% rear, Lightning tail lights
04 F6 Sno Pro Team edition- MBRP race can, ODS clutch kit
01 YZ125- bored out to 144, PnP cylinder and head, Pro Circuit WORKS suspension, many other mods
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11-07-2009, 08:36 AM
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#15
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Trying To Help
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: MICHIGAN
Posts: 509
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running voltage @ battery should be between 13.5 and 14.5
never unhook battery with car running
the battery is a storage and also and equillzer for the cahrging system and when you un hook the alt it goes in high rate mode and with out the battery there to equillize the sytem it can send voltage spike thru the system thus frying electrical componets
battery is powering everything when the key is on and the engine is off
alt takes over after the car is started thus powering everything
(now on old no computer cars that was the fastest way to check alt , by unhooking it)
hth
chris
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11-07-2009, 03:29 PM
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#16
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GX Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: nj
Posts: 233
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ok i took the battery to be charge... i connected the new battery and the voltage was 12.60 with the key turn (car was not running)...
when i turned on the car the voltage was 12.10...
so am guessing the alternator is not working at all... so am going to take the altenator tomorrow to autozone so they can check it
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11-07-2009, 11:28 PM
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#17
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GLS member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Grand Forks, ND for school; Langdon, ND home
Posts: 2,632
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yep the alt is bad.
__________________
2001½ F150 XLT Crew Cab- true dual glasspacks with x-pipe, AEM intake, SCT X3 with VMP custom tunes, full stereo system, HID 55w heads and 35w fogs, 35% tint front and 20% rear, Lightning tail lights
04 F6 Sno Pro Team edition- MBRP race can, ODS clutch kit
01 YZ125- bored out to 144, PnP cylinder and head, Pro Circuit WORKS suspension, many other mods
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11-07-2009, 11:42 PM
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#18
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636 whp
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: AZ
Posts: 11,895
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Quote:
Originally Posted by elpuas3000
so am guessing the alternator is not working at all... so am going to take the altenator tomorrow to autozone so they can check it
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You can get both checked ON the car by the way....
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11-08-2009, 02:18 AM
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#19
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Female.
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Fort Hood, TX
Posts: 1,809
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Quote:
Originally Posted by [ion] C2
You can get both checked ON the car by the way....
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man aren't you our nice little AZ rep GO SELL SOME CHECKOUT CHALLENGE
__________________
2012 Hyundai Veloster - new 40 MPG DD!!
1990 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo 5 speed - "Zeus"
2005 Nissan Titan SE King Cab 4x4 - gas guzzler
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11-08-2009, 07:24 AM
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#20
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I poop alot
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Ravenna, Ohio
Posts: 852
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I'd just like to add that if you have not done the Big 3 you really should. For safe measure any time that you add an amp to a car you should do the big 3.
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