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Re: Car trouble
[Re: 1lessdog]
#7325116
08/08/21 07:14 PM
08/08/21 07:14 PM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,435
New York border
Cragar
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New York border
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Have you checked voltage/amps at the battery while running ? It should be showing 13v-14v while running.
Did you get the old battery tested ? ( just trying to cover all bases) Just replacing parts with no dignostics is a bad idea. Know what is broken before just throwing parts at it.
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Re: Car trouble
[Re: 1lessdog]
#7325118
08/08/21 07:19 PM
08/08/21 07:19 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 9,692
ND
MJM
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ND
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Did you check the connections on wires on the alternator? I know I would not have. But if it bench checked good and is not charging on the car. Maybe a fuse? Loose wire. Short not letting the power to the battery? It could be the alternator was not working due to a dead battery. Some alternators need a charge to charge. You can place the metal end of the screwdriver near to the nut on the alternator pulley. You will find a strong magnetic force immediately pulls the screwdriver towards it, even if the screwdriver is a reasonable distance away, if there is alternator field current. This means the alternator is operating correctly. Careful the screwdriver doesn't get lodged.
"Not Really, Not Really"
Mark J Monti
"MJM you're a jerk."
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Re: Car trouble
[Re: 1lessdog]
#7325128
08/08/21 07:26 PM
08/08/21 07:26 PM
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 2,165
S. Illinois
Chuckles84
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S. Illinois
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If you have a multimeter set it to dc volts. Start the car and let it idle in park, turn the ac on, the blower on high, and turn the head lights on bright. With the meter connectected across the battery observe the voltagr for 5 to 10 minutes or longer if you have the time, the voltage should be 13-14.2 volts lower or higher voltages indicate a charging system issue, which may be an alternator.
And as others have stated battery cables must be clean and tight or they can cause crazy electrical issues.
Your entitled to oxygen. Everything else is earned.
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Re: Car trouble
[Re: MJM]
#7325133
08/08/21 07:28 PM
08/08/21 07:28 PM
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 2,165
S. Illinois
Chuckles84
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S. Illinois
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Did you check the connections on wires on the alternator? I know I would not have. But if it bench checked good and is not charging on the car. Maybe a fuse? Loose wire. Short not letting the power to the battery? It could be the alternator was not working due to a dead battery. Some alternators need a charge to charge. You can place the metal end of the screwdriver near to the nut on the alternator pulley. You will find a strong magnetic force immediately pulls the screwdriver towards it, even if the screwdriver is a reasonable distance away, if there is alternator field current. This means the alternator is operating correctly. Careful the screwdriver doesn't get lodged. Yep, alternators are battery maintainers and not battery chargers. Some applications can keep up with a discharged battery but it puts a lot of strain on the alternator.
Your entitled to oxygen. Everything else is earned.
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Re: Car trouble
[Re: Chuckles84]
#7325139
08/08/21 07:31 PM
08/08/21 07:31 PM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,435
New York border
Cragar
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New York border
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And as others have stated battery cables must be clean and tight or they can cause crazy electrical issues. Fusiable link can be an issue too. Battery terminals and battery posts need to be clean , bright and tight. Clean , bright and tight. Worth saying a second time.
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Re: Car trouble
[Re: 1lessdog]
#7325149
08/08/21 07:46 PM
08/08/21 07:46 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 29,880
williamsburg ks
danny clifton
"Grumpy Old Man"
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"Grumpy Old Man"
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 29,880
williamsburg ks
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Chuckles84:
If you have a multimeter set it to dc volts. Start the car and let it idle in park, turn the ac on, the blower on high, and turn the head lights on bright. With the meter connectected across the battery observe the voltagr for 5 to 10 minutes or longer if you have the time, the voltage should be 13-14.2 volts lower or higher voltages indicate a charging system issue, which may be an alternator. you can get one for about 20 bucks. they come with an instruction book. do a lot of different electrical tests.
Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
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Re: Car trouble
[Re: 1lessdog]
#7325158
08/08/21 07:56 PM
08/08/21 07:56 PM
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,785
Northern lower Michigan
Feedinggrounds
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Northern lower Michigan
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Unhooking the positive cable while engine is running has not been a valid test since cars had generators. Its a great way to fry some electronics. Even jumping modern cars, has a method to not spike electronics. A digital volt meter is the best way.
you're only allowed so many sunrises... I aim to see every one of them!
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Re: Car trouble
[Re: 1lessdog]
#7325161
08/08/21 07:58 PM
08/08/21 07:58 PM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,435
New York border
Cragar
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New York border
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I cleaned all the cables and the fuse link is good. I still think it's the Alternator. You will find this out quickly. A fresh fully charged battery is good for about 1-2 hours depending on electrical load. At night with the headlamps on , much shorter. Getting/borrowing a volt meter will save you the headache of the 'dead in the road' rescue call.
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Re: Car trouble
[Re: loosegoose]
#7325181
08/08/21 08:26 PM
08/08/21 08:26 PM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,435
New York border
Cragar
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New York border
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As others said, you need to measure the battery voltage with it running. Should be 14.something volts. If the alternator isnt charging, don't assume its a bad alternator. Even if it's internally regulated, the PCM could still control it. It's not out of the realm of possibility to have something like a broken wire between the PCM and alternator broken. Wiring issues are fun.....much easier when a part is broken. I hate chasing down electrical shorts/wiring issues.
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Re: Car trouble
[Re: 1lessdog]
#7325185
08/08/21 08:31 PM
08/08/21 08:31 PM
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,785
Northern lower Michigan
Feedinggrounds
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Northern lower Michigan
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My new Silverado won't show a charge voltage unless the battery needs it. It is part of the fuel savings. No need to waste HP on a alternator output unless battery needs it. Like cars that shut off at stoplights then start when you press on the gas.
you're only allowed so many sunrises... I aim to see every one of them!
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Re: Car trouble
[Re: 1lessdog]
#7325192
08/08/21 08:37 PM
08/08/21 08:37 PM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,596
Green County Wisconsin
GREENCOUNTYPETE
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Green County Wisconsin
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cars with alternators and not generators need a battery to run
a volt meter check before start then check after start and you should be about 13.1 to 14.1 volts while running right after starting that is charging the battery
a bad cell in the battery
bad cable some cables get rotten inside and at full voltage they start and work but a partially dead battery will not work that is why a jump is enough to get you running again
a bad cable can also make it not charge even when the alternator is good
check the voltage at the battery posts then other places if you are getting a voltage drop where you shouldn't be that can be an issue
America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
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Re: Car trouble
[Re: 1lessdog]
#7325354
08/08/21 11:20 PM
08/08/21 11:20 PM
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 23,645
New Hampshire
Nessmuck
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New Hampshire
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Car batteries now a days …..are only good for 5 years…so get them changed before that. They don’t give you any warning …like the old days,when they would crank slow. They start the vehicle or they just are dead.
It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.
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Re: Car trouble
[Re: Nessmuck]
#7325373
08/08/21 11:50 PM
08/08/21 11:50 PM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,435
New York border
Cragar
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New York border
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Car batteries now a days …..are only good for 5 years…so get them changed before that. They don’t give you any warning …like the old days,when they would crank slow. They start the vehicle or they just are dead. X2
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Re: Car trouble
[Re: 1lessdog]
#7325427
08/09/21 05:28 AM
08/09/21 05:28 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,716
Sandhills Nebraska
Gary Benson
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Sandhills Nebraska
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Biggest pain I ever encountered was a battery cable that looked fine but was corroded on the inside. A very painful learning experience. The $20 battery/alternator tester is the best idea yet.
Life ain't supposed to be easy.
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Re: Car trouble
[Re: loosegoose]
#7325763
08/09/21 03:04 PM
08/09/21 03:04 PM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,596
Green County Wisconsin
GREENCOUNTYPETE
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Green County Wisconsin
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^learning to understand voltage drop can be the single biggest leap forward in a techs journey toward understanding electrical diagnosis. My teachers in tech school were absolutely terrible, but I took some training through carX (a bad-reputation chain, of all places), and the guy was awesome, it was a whole new world opened up. It all clicked and made sense after that. had a few bad cables , they do weird things I was more interested in the mechanics of things when young but every one and every product car , truck , machine tool , was going electronic I worked on cars in Highschool then for Penske for a while right out of high school while I was in electronics school then I fell into the telecommunications industry and working for a utility has it's stability.
America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
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