ZVOLV
<Master Tech>
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2002
- Location
- California
Google how to do loaded voltage drop tests. Do one on your battery cables and the alt positive and ground cables.
Hello Guest, welcome to the initial stages of our new platform!
You can find some additional information about where we are in the process of migrating the board and setting up our new software here
Thank you for being a part of our community!
"With the positive lead on the positive alternator wire at the terminal and the negative lead on the positive battery post, it reads 0.07 at idle and at 2k rpm. No change with RPMs."
"With negative lead on alternator housing and positive lead on the negative battery post, it read 0.15 volts."
Excellent! The battery and alternator cables and connections are good.
You should buy a battery monitor for the lighter socket. Find out if the battery is discharging while your driving or after the car is turned off. You are dealing with an intermittent problem.
... when accelerating hard the headlights may turn on at 5k and the radio will try to turn on as well.
Thanks for the advice! I just ordered one. Not sure if this helps with a diagnosis, but when accelerating hard the headlights may turn on at 5k and the radio will try to turn on as well.
I got my cigarette socket battery monitor today and went for a drive. I think the results were quite alarming.
At idle with all accessories except for the radio which refuses to turn on, 12.5ish. Already knew this with the multimeter though.
At cruising speeds with all accessories it was around 12.8
With no accessories at cruising speeds it was around 13.3-13.5
With even just my high beams it would drop down to 12.9-13.0. If I added on the heater fan it was below 12.8.
Is my alternator toast? Before I started the car it was just around 11.9-12.0 after sitting for two days.