Can a weak battery ruin an alternator?
A “weak” battery can’t consume much of a charge either so it won’t be much of a load on the alternator. So, no, a weak battery won’t hurt your alternator.
What causes an alternator to over charge a battery?
Measure voltage across the battery with your DMM. You should get 0.5 to 2 volts higher than base voltage. If you are getting more than 2 volts above base voltage, most likely your alternator is over-charging the battery or the battery is faulty. Other potential problems are a faulty voltage regulator or a problem in the charging system wiring.
When is a voltage regulator bad for an alternator?
When your test shows a steady or intermittent high or low voltage output, the voltage regulator is possibly bad. Most voltage regulators fail by allowing a high voltage output, though. However, before going any further, check that all the connections to the alternator and battery are good and clean as described in the next section.
What should voltage regulator be on car battery?
Most voltage regulators are calibrated to output between 13.5 and 15.5 charging volts on a fully charged battery at normal temperature with no accessories or lights on. Consult the specifications in your vehicle repair manual for your particular application.
What happens if the alternator in your car fails?
If it breaks and the components in your car’s electrical system are going to have a spotty ability to continue working if they work at all. If the voltage regulator in your car completely fails, then the battery can no longer be charged by the alternator and it will soon lose its charge and die.
When your test shows a steady or intermittent high or low voltage output, the voltage regulator is possibly bad. Most voltage regulators fail by allowing a high voltage output, though. However, before going any further, check that all the connections to the alternator and battery are good and clean as described in the next section.
Measure voltage across the battery with your DMM. You should get 0.5 to 2 volts higher than base voltage. If you are getting more than 2 volts above base voltage, most likely your alternator is over-charging the battery or the battery is faulty. Other potential problems are a faulty voltage regulator or a problem in the charging system wiring.
Most voltage regulators are calibrated to output between 13.5 and 15.5 charging volts on a fully charged battery at normal temperature with no accessories or lights on. Consult the specifications in your vehicle repair manual for your particular application.
If it breaks and the components in your car’s electrical system are going to have a spotty ability to continue working if they work at all. If the voltage regulator in your car completely fails, then the battery can no longer be charged by the alternator and it will soon lose its charge and die.