SSjunkie912

hey guys i have a problem. when i first bought my car the voltage stayed around 15, but lately its been going down to around 13(which is the line right in the middle of the guage and leaning way toward being short on voltage.) I think my batterys good because i just refilled it with water and the car seems to crank right up, have around 14-15 volts, then drop down to 13. this car is my DD so if i need a part i want to replace it before it breaks!!! ohh and the car is a 2000 SS with 45k miles....thanks for any advice!
and yes, i tried a search!

jsteele90

iTrader: (13)

might be a alternator does it go down to 13 when its idling or all the time? i would put a load test on the battery and double check all the connections to the alternator and the battery .

SSjunkie912

It goes down to a little above 13 when its idling and driving. the more i drive or stop/start and turn the car on/ off constantly it starts at around 15 then goes a little ablove 13 or in that range each time. i just filled the battery and it seems to be in good shape but ill def check all the battery connections.

Rushin

iTrader: (18)

First of all, I'm hoping you didn't fill a battery that wasn't supposed to be filled. If it says maintenance free doesn't necessarily mean you can fill it up with water. Second, a little above 13 is normal operating range. Unless your rpms are fluctuating at idle, your alternator is good. Take off the negative terminal and you'll quickly find out if it's good.

SSjunkie912

Does anyone know how hard it would be to install a new alternator if necessary? i couldnt seem to find a good writeup....thanks!

Z28LS1camaroguy

iTrader: (3)

its simple, go under car, unbolt two bolts, unplug and disconnect power source, then reverse what you did with the new alternator. Oh yeah unplug the negative terminal also so you dont shock yourself.

SSjunkie912

Well today i went to advance and had it tested and both my voltage and ampage is good! but on the way there the car was flucuating below 13(around 11) at idle but then would just back up after we started cruising. after i went to advance and they checked it and i made sure the battery connections were tight it quit flucuating and seemed to stay right at 13, which seems a little low to me. im running seafoam through it right now, but could this be a fouled plug problem? thanks guys!

LS1vazquez

You just might be running a crap alternator that isn't able to put up with the heat.

I'm running an Autozone Alternator through mine and it will do what you describe in stop and go traffic. At night, I can't run the A/C and the light at the same time without it fluctuating.

Is it a stock factory alternator or is it a rebuilt?

SSjunkie912

The car has 45k miles, and this is the alternator(original one i assumn) that was with the car when i bought it. I should hope it could at least make it to 75k miles on completely stock sterio, and everything for that matter!!!! it now seems to not be flucuating and staying right at 13, which still seems low. the advances guys said it was all good so what could it be then? a spark plug maybe?

Dave 96TA

iTrader: (10)

Have you checked belt tension? Maybe your belt is slipping due to bad tensioner pulley or bad belt?

SSjunkie912

Well its gotta be the alternator, it now has a brand new battery(warrenty replace). anybody know of a good rightup to install it?

BLACK2001SS

Yeah this could verry well be so, because if you checked your nator then its probly good.

Just get a tool set take of the wires and mark them and then the bolts , oh and disconnect the battery first lol.

SSjunkie912

How do you check the belt exactly?

94'BLKBRD

iTrader: (76)

Alternator has three bolts....two in the front and one in the back

BLACK2001SS

Well its not the belt its the tensioner if you can push on your belt and it moves alot or if you can move your belt tensioner with your hand you know, common sence kind stuff, if your belt looses friction then its not going to turn the other components. So the belt dosne't have the tension for the friction needed to turn the alternator to make power. its an easy check just see if you can move the teinsoner with your hand or push on the belt.