Alternator gone
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 6,692
Likes: 29
From: Texas
Alternator gone
How can I tell if my alternator is gone out? What has happened, is I went through a car wash (touchless type) that had a "bottom blaster" to clean up bottom of car. Sounded good to me. Anyway, while sitting there letting car wash do its thing, noticed battery light on and battery barely charging - or is it discharging! If the rpm's are up, voltage will go up to 12 +,-. But, if idling, drops way down and light wants to come on. Does this mean alternator gone or what?
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 193
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From: Wausau wis USA
Re: Alternator gone (Larry82)
let it dry out good then an old trick I learned was to take a screwdriver to the back of alt [with engin running ] by the back bearing it should be magnetic if charging
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 6,692
Likes: 29
From: Texas
Re: Alternator gone (Twinnie)
Started car, had to increase rpm's to get battery light to go off, then loaded up car with radio, then headlights, then a/c and blap! everything went dead. No power anywhere. Battery has a charge, so sounds like a fuse somewhere. Any ideas?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Semper ubi, sub ubi
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Re: Alternator gone (Larry82)
Check your grounds, those "bottom blasters" can knock all sorts of things loose, alternator can't charge with a good ground to the battery.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 6,692
Likes: 29
From: Texas
Re: Alternator gone (Smokehouse69)
Turns out the alternator was bad - diodes not working. Only putting out 10.5 volts. Decided to buy new reman one rather than rebuilding. 70 peak amps, rather than stock 60. Can tell that a/c is running better - something I had heard would result from a higher amp alternator. Don't ask me why. Oh, and, when I went to remove battery to have it tested, one touch to a terminal with a wrench, and all power restored. Now that's a new one.
