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Re: Drooping voltage spells impending doom. Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 11:46:21
In Reply to: Re: Drooping voltage spells impending doom., 907Saaber, Tue, 10 Apr 2007 10:44:17 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
With the engine running and the alternator not working properly, 11 volts is reasonable. The battery is supplying power to the car, not the alternator, so the battery voltage falls. When the alternator is working properly, voltage will be above 12.6 volts.
The fact that the battery light only sometimes comes on when the key is ON but the engine is OFF says a lot. That circuit is critical to the alternator working properly. That circuit is from the battery, through the key, through the BATTERY light bulb, and through a thin, green or yellow wire to the back of the alternator (D+ post). If that connection is poor, it could explain the problems you see. Sometimes it makes connection, and the alternator starts up OK. Sometimes it doesn't make a good connection, and the alternator won't work right. And you won't get the BAT light, even though the alternator isn't working.
I would inspect that wire carefully. It sits behind the engine, and often I have seen it with dried-out and cracked insulation, the wires corroded. Make sure it is connected well to the D+ connection on the back of the alternator. Make sure the alternator has a good ground connection to the engine, and that the engine is grounded well to the chassis (the wire from the top of the engine to the chassis, at the upper engine mount).
If that all looks good, I would make sure that the bulb is properly seated in the instrument panel. That's not easy - access requires removing the top of the dashboard. See Quasi's page for information on that. Frankly, if the wiring all looked good, I would replace the VR before going after the bulb. That assumes you can replace the VR with the alternator in the car. If you need to pull the alternator, it's easier to take off the top of the dash and check the bulb. It's not clear which one would be more likely the problem, so I usually do the easiest checks first.
posted by 192.249....
, Tue, 10 Apr 2007 07:56:25
, Tue, 10 Apr 2007 21:17:26, Tue, 10 Apr 2007 11:46:21 <-- Viewing This Message, Wed, 11 Apr 2007 12:48:40
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