scudderfish
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 posted on 26/9/10 at 09:08 AM |
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Is my alternator knackered, and has it done in my battery?
My battery doesn't seem to hold charge, and it has previously vented. I hooked up my voltmeter, and it was showing 12.5v (ish). I started the
engine, and when the alternator was running the voltage was getting as high as over 17v and consistently over 16.5v. Is this bad news? I expected
the voltage to be more around 14.5v when charging.
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MakeEverything
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| posted on 26/9/10 at 09:10 AM |
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Sounds like its cooked the battery, which has vented.
Charging should be around 14.4 - 15V. 17V consistently would probably have killed the battery.
Sorry bud.
ETA: Thats what you get for having a dig at me all week!!  
[Edited on 26-9-10 by MakeEverything]
Kindest Regards,
Richard.
...You can make it foolProof, but youll never make it Idiot Proof!...
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snapper
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| posted on 26/9/10 at 09:14 AM |
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Alternator unwell, charging voltage 13.9 14.5 ish
I eat to survive
I drink to forget
I breath to pi55 my ex wife off (and now my ex partner)
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fazerruss
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| posted on 26/9/10 at 11:11 AM |
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sounds like your regulator is buggered
"if assholes could fly this place would be an airport"
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RazMan
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| posted on 26/9/10 at 11:20 AM |
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As above, it is likely to be your regulator on the blink. You can sometimes find a replacement at alternator repair companies - or simply replace the
alternator.
Unfortunately it may have taken your battery with it, so its best to get it checked out at a battery specialist who can see if it has done any lasting
damage.
[Edited on 26-9-10 by RazMan]
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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britishtrident
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| posted on 26/9/10 at 04:45 PM |
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Starting with a battery with decent charge ie showing 12.5 or more volts accross the termminals with everything switched, measure the battery
voltage cranking the engine (best done cold cold & ignition coil disconnected), if the voltage acrross the battery is less than 9 volts the
battery is goosed.
[Edited on 26/9/10 by britishtrident]
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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scudderfish
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| posted on 26/9/10 at 05:10 PM |
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Looking back at the megasquirt logs from my MOT yesterday, I stopped at a garage afterwards and it wasn't keen to start. Voltage dropped to
8.5v during cranking, so it is officially more goosed than Meg Ryan's character in Top Gun
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