Alternator not charging battery
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Joined: Feb 2005
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From: NH
Alternator not charging battery
My 2001 Automatic C5 has a battery/alternator issue. Battery is about 1 year old. I observed the voltage gauge dropping steadily on me a few days ago. Tried "wiggling" connection points at the alternator and battery but seemed tight and didn't help. Pulled into an Advanced Auto and had my alternator and 1-yr old battery tested and was told all is good. Just for good measure I borrowed a wrench and cleaning brush and cleaned my battery connections and retightened. Nothing helped. I left and the voltage gauge dropped under 11 and kept dropping. Things soon started shutting off, so I hit the back roads and killed my headlights hoping to make it home before anything crucial shut off. Made it home and parked it, haven't taken it out since. Charged it overnight on a trickle charger. Battery read 12.5V on my multimeter. Started car. Tested Alternator with multimeter and it read close to 14V, then,with the car running, checked battery again...still only 12.5V at battery terminals. For some reason the current seems to be coming out of the alternator, but not going to my battery... Any thoughts?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Great place to start even if you don't have headers.
