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Re: How do I know if my Alternator is going bad? Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Fri, 27 Aug 2004 08:41:08
In Reply to: How do I know if my Alternator is going bad?, T. Christopher, Thu, 26 Aug 2004 16:26:56 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
The alternator should last the life of the car. The only alternator I've every had to replace was due to a failed internal diode. Spin the alternator shaft to feel the bearings - if they feel good, you're fine.
What fails on alternators is the voltage regulator. But many folks replace the alternator, when all that was wrong was the VR. The brushes on the VR wear down, and when they get worn too far, they make poor contact.
An output of 14 volts is pretty good. The trick would be to see the output, at idle, under load (headlights on, blower fan on high). If the alternator is cold, 13.0 or above is pretty good. If it's hot (been in an running engine for a while), it may drop slightly below 13.0
The only difficulty in replacing the VR is access. If you've got good access to the VR, you can always pull it out and check the brush length. If they're down below 1/8 inch or so, I'd replace them now while the access is easy. A new VR is $50 from an autoparts store, probably less mail order.
posted by 192.249....
, Fri, 27 Aug 2004 08:41:08 <-- Viewing This Message
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