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help! nor you usual alternator question!

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Old 10-01-2008, 01:02 AM
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Unhappy help! nor you usual alternator question!

hey guys i just go back from the dyno and wile the car was being tuned my tuner told me the cars voltage was only at 11-12 volts wile makeing the runs.

my battery is new and for some reason when the car sits for 4-5 days the battery will drain close to dead.

is my alt starting to go out? the volt gauge shows past 13 when the car is running but i know the gauges are not so true.

if it is starting to die what kind of alt should i go with?
thanks guys.
oh and sorry for some of the bad spelling im tired lol.
Old 10-01-2008, 01:32 AM
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sounds like a failed alternator, until you mention how it shows it at 13 on the gauge. the gauge is actually pretty accurate, i mean it would at least be clear its at 13 and not 11. so its possibly an intermittent internal alternator failure...interesting...

i see it as an alternator is an alternator is an alternator. so i'd just replace it with a reman, most come with a warranty and ive never had problems with remans from carquest n such.
Old 10-01-2008, 01:39 AM
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well i have an alternator shop and i was thinking about takeing it there and haveing it tested and fixed.
can these alt's be repaired?
if not ill still try to get a new not remaned one.
Old 10-01-2008, 01:54 AM
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a reman IS a rebuilt one. i'd go with that.

i dont know, maybe im cheap
Old 10-01-2008, 12:04 PM
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lol i might just run the car over to advance and have then test it on the car and if it shows ok im going to take it off and have it tested again.
damn alernators are high!
chicm in guys if ya got any more options.
Old 10-01-2008, 12:51 PM
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Sometimes when alternators get bad they won't charge much as they will overheat easily and then stop charging. I have had one do that to me before.
Old 10-01-2008, 05:49 PM
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well i took the car to advance and wile the alt was on the car it only showed it was puting out 12 volts.
but with it off the car it passed the alt test at advance.
im stumped and i cant figure this crap out.
help guys!!!!!!!!!
Old 10-01-2008, 08:10 PM
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well if its only charging at 12 volts its not charging at all. the pcm might not be sending the signal to charge, id look into that. i think the signal is PWM so a voltmeter might not pick it up. you might need a good scan tool to test it. also try to full field the alternator and see what the voltage goes to. should be like 16 or 17 volts.
Old 10-01-2008, 08:27 PM
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the pcm part should be ok but the tuner told me about the low voltage.
if some thing was wrong wouldent the car being connected to the laptop wile being tuned
show it?
Old 10-01-2008, 09:40 PM
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Have you cleaned your terminals/wires at the battery lately?
Old 10-01-2008, 10:26 PM
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The best way to go from what I have seen. Is a wire upgrade(search) and a quality high amp alternator. The only down side is the cost.
Old 10-02-2008, 01:02 AM
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i went ahead and replaced the battery to alt cable with some 4ga wire and replaced the ground wire that goes from right behind the alt to the frame with 4ga.
ill clean the alt plug and im having a small power stearing leak and i noticed a little fluid on the plug so maybe thats the problem or maybe not.
its not like the alt wasent charging at all it just not puting that much volts out.
Old 12-03-2008, 01:35 PM
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what happened ever get it fixed?




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