New Alternator In - Now having Problems
10-29-2012, 11:10 AM
#1
New Alternator In - Now having Problems Hi all,
I just finished the install this morning on putting in a Power Bastards alternator. I was having some issues with the stock Delphi (144k miles on it) and whenever I'd turn on the lights with the a/c it'd drop to the dreaded 8volt danger realm. It has a fairly new battery in it, so I went ahead and picked up a new alternator for planned stereo upgrades.
Anyway, I don't want to have to do anything again, since that was a major PITA to change the alternator. But, now I have an issue. I have not driven the car yet, but when I first cranked it, it seemed to struggle and the volts were very low. Then after a few moments everything seemed to "perk up" and it was reading more than 13 volts on the dash. So, I'm thinking, well, that's good, maybe the alternator just needed to spin a bit before working.
So I let it sit for a minute and then I turned on the lights to see if the volts would drop. They did, hard. Down to 8 again and it started running rough. I shut it down. I waited about 5 mins and started again and low and behold, it had a hard time getting up to idle and wasn't charging. After a moment, everything was back to normal. So I let it sit and charge for a good 5 mins before trying the lights again. When I flicked them on, the whole car died. I have not tried to restart since then, but does it sound like there is a short somewhere?
I was very careful with the exciter wire and didn't pull it apart. The only thing I might have done wrong is I started taking it out from the top (don't do that). And so once I got everything free, the only thing left was the power wire. The old alternator dangled for a few moments while I found something to brace it with. The problem is, when I decided to jack the car up and get under it, the old alternator hung down for a few mins while I did that. The wire itself seemed okay when I looked at it. I'm wondering if I messed it up? Another thing to note is that Power Bastards recommends a 0 or 2 gauge wire which I was going to replace the factory wire with once I did a stereo.
Any thoughts? No codes that I can tell either.
I just finished the install this morning on putting in a Power Bastards alternator. I was having some issues with the stock Delphi (144k miles on it) and whenever I'd turn on the lights with the a/c it'd drop to the dreaded 8volt danger realm. It has a fairly new battery in it, so I went ahead and picked up a new alternator for planned stereo upgrades.
Anyway, I don't want to have to do anything again, since that was a major PITA to change the alternator. But, now I have an issue. I have not driven the car yet, but when I first cranked it, it seemed to struggle and the volts were very low. Then after a few moments everything seemed to "perk up" and it was reading more than 13 volts on the dash. So, I'm thinking, well, that's good, maybe the alternator just needed to spin a bit before working.
So I let it sit for a minute and then I turned on the lights to see if the volts would drop. They did, hard. Down to 8 again and it started running rough. I shut it down. I waited about 5 mins and started again and low and behold, it had a hard time getting up to idle and wasn't charging. After a moment, everything was back to normal. So I let it sit and charge for a good 5 mins before trying the lights again. When I flicked them on, the whole car died. I have not tried to restart since then, but does it sound like there is a short somewhere?
I was very careful with the exciter wire and didn't pull it apart. The only thing I might have done wrong is I started taking it out from the top (don't do that). And so once I got everything free, the only thing left was the power wire. The old alternator dangled for a few moments while I found something to brace it with. The problem is, when I decided to jack the car up and get under it, the old alternator hung down for a few mins while I did that. The wire itself seemed okay when I looked at it. I'm wondering if I messed it up? Another thing to note is that Power Bastards recommends a 0 or 2 gauge wire which I was going to replace the factory wire with once I did a stereo.
Any thoughts? No codes that I can tell either.
10-29-2012, 03:21 PM
#3
It was the problem. Up in the loom the previous owner spliced it and added a longer wire... And did a terrible job. Fixed that and found an issue with the power connector to the battery (the end has dry rotted or had acid spill). Works beautifully now.
The only question is should it be charging at what looks like 15-16 volts on the dash? I just picked up a multimeter to test...
The only question is should it be charging at what looks like 15-16 volts on the dash? I just picked up a multimeter to test...
10-29-2012, 03:53 PM
#4
Glad to hear. That wire is so vulnerable, its almost like we need a safety tether on the thing.
If the alternator is charging much above 14V, it may not have a good regulator in it. But - the multimeter is the only way to know for sure. The gauges on the dash are not hyper-accurate.
If the alternator is charging much above 14V, it may not have a good regulator in it. But - the multimeter is the only way to know for sure. The gauges on the dash are not hyper-accurate.
10-29-2012, 03:59 PM
#5
Looks like Power Bastards claims a 14.4V idle output. So it's probably doing as it should.
Now I just have to chase down an annoying chirp that developed with the install. I HOPE TO GOD the alternator isn't misaligned. That's such a PITA to adjust.
Now I just have to chase down an annoying chirp that developed with the install. I HOPE TO GOD the alternator isn't misaligned. That's such a PITA to adjust.
10-29-2012, 07:34 PM
#7
Yeah I think. It looked identical to the factory unit. Haven't seen any issues with anyone with a Power Bastards alternator... Hmm. I wonder if my belt tensioner is going out and the extra drag of the more powerful alternator is enough for the belt to slip and chirp?
Trending Topics
10-29-2012, 10:29 PM
#11
I wouldn't think so. If it was, you'd see problems happening when your A/C kicks on, etc. The sure way to know is to check the tension marks on the pulley. If they move off station when the engine is on, the spring might be weakening. I would expect you'd also only see more load on the belt when you are actually having a call for all that extra power.
10-31-2012, 12:22 AM
#13
Just an update: I went with a Gates K060780 belt which is 78" and 1" shorter than stock. The pulley on the alternator actually is not much smaller than stock, so the 1" is a little too much. The belt tensioner is almost all the way to the right because of that, but the chirping is gone. I think it is time to get a new tensioner as the slightly longer belt was probably okay if the tensioner held worth a ****.
Also, the high high voltage drops when I actually drive the car after a few minutes down to the 14.4 level. I figure the battery is charged at that point and the system is working as it should. A/C and lights don't bog the car. Although, if I stop in gear and sit, the engine does bog a little and voltage drops to about 12.7-13 but then recovers. So, much better than it was with the stock alternator.
Also, the high high voltage drops when I actually drive the car after a few minutes down to the 14.4 level. I figure the battery is charged at that point and the system is working as it should. A/C and lights don't bog the car. Although, if I stop in gear and sit, the engine does bog a little and voltage drops to about 12.7-13 but then recovers. So, much better than it was with the stock alternator.
