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Is my alternator not charging?
- Thread starter Genxer
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- alternator battery
OP
OP
Genxer
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #17
I did a BMS reset just in case. No change.
Tried the car again today. Always starts right up, no problem.
Upon initial startup, my dash gage had 14.1V. Within a minute 11.6 steady. Ac on, drops to 10.8. Ac back off and revved to 2k a couple of times back to 11.8V.
(I’ve found that my dash gage reads comparable to my voltmeter hooked to the battery)
I also have a battery charger that checks the alternator at load/no load.
With no load=good
With load= bad
I’m buying a new alternator at this point. Everything seems to point to that as a solution.
Tried the car again today. Always starts right up, no problem.
Upon initial startup, my dash gage had 14.1V. Within a minute 11.6 steady. Ac on, drops to 10.8. Ac back off and revved to 2k a couple of times back to 11.8V.
(I’ve found that my dash gage reads comparable to my voltmeter hooked to the battery)
I also have a battery charger that checks the alternator at load/no load.
With no load=good
With load= bad
I’m buying a new alternator at this point. Everything seems to point to that as a solution.
OP
OP
Genxer
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #18
Cautiously optimistic here. I replaced the alternator today with a new factory unit. Startup voltage is 14.6 initial and settled into 12.9, even with the radio on and the ac running full blast. I left it running longer than the last time I observed a drop in voltage. The car even seems to idle smoother but maybe that’s a placebo effect.
I learned a few things changing out the alternator that definitely made things easier the 2nd time around. After removing the power wire from the unit, I popped out the plastic divider piece. That gave me more room to grip the plug on the back (it’s still a pain) and more room wrestling the alternator out. I pushed the radiator hose back to make room while pulling the alt out, and paid mind to not put the plastic connector in a bind. CJ Pony Parts has a good install video which goes over the main points. It’s not that bad once you know what to do. The serpentine belt is a breeze compared to the Hondas I’ve worked on.
I learned a few things changing out the alternator that definitely made things easier the 2nd time around. After removing the power wire from the unit, I popped out the plastic divider piece. That gave me more room to grip the plug on the back (it’s still a pain) and more room wrestling the alternator out. I pushed the radiator hose back to make room while pulling the alt out, and paid mind to not put the plastic connector in a bind. CJ Pony Parts has a good install video which goes over the main points. It’s not that bad once you know what to do. The serpentine belt is a breeze compared to the Hondas I’ve worked on.
OP
OP
Genxer
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #19
Took it on a decent drive today and with no drama. It maintained 14.1 V, pretty much constant. I’ll say again that I think the car is running better. I was getting an occasional hiccup in the idle but that is gone. The engine just seems to run smoother. Possibly it was causing ignition system irregularities? And the oil leak seems to be gone after tightening the bolts. After the drive, I took a paper towel and rubbed it all along the suspect area. Nothing. I’ll continue to monitor that. It’s a good day gents.
Food for thought if you develop a valve cover oil leak.
Food for thought if you develop a valve cover oil leak.
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