What to do if your alternator is not charging your battery?
If your car doesn’t start, you must use a battery charger. Connect a multimeter or voltage meter to test the alternator. Idle the engine. Check to see how many volts are showing on the meter. There should be 13.6 to 14.3 volts showing. Talk to your mechanic if your alternator is not charging your battery.
What should the alternator read at 2000 rpm?
Use a digital voltmeter to check the battery terminals after the engine has reached operating temp. The battery should be fully charged and the meter should read approx. 14.0 VDC. w/the engine at 2000 RPMs. Write down the reading for reference; it will be used in the next step. If it is more than 14.4 VDC, the alternator regulator is not working.
What should the Orange Wire on an alternator read?
The orange wire is B+ and the black wire is B-. Connect the positive meter test lead to the B+ and the negative test lead to B- connections. With the engine at 2000 RPMs, the meter should read between 14.0 and 14.4 VDC and only be 0.04 volts less than the reading recorded at the battery.
What should the volts be on my alternator?
There should be 13.6 to 14.3 volts showing. Talk to your mechanic if your alternator is not charging your battery. You can trade in your alternator and your mechanic can give you a new or rebuilt alternator. If the headlights get brighter as you rev the engine, your alternator is likely charging the battery.
Can a battery be charged from an alternator?
Let’s recall that in 99% of boat systems, the alternator is directly connected to the starter solenoid. Therefore, whatever battery is connected to the starter is also the battery that will get a charge from the alternator.
Do you need to check the battery first before checking the alternator?
Check the battery first. The battery is needed to start the vehicle, which, in turn spins the alternator at sufficient speed to keep the battery charged.
What should the voltage of the alternator be?
When the outboard is running (and the alternator should be charging the battery) the voltage looks like 14.2 volts. Hope this helps! If the motor is not charging the battery it will go dead. You mention your graph is OK after a full charge.
What does it mean when alternator reading stays the same?
If the reading stays the same or drops, that means the alternator isn’t charging and you may need a new one. If the reading is more than 2 volts higher, that could mean that your alternator is overcharging. Either way, take your car to an auto repair shop to find out what’s wrong.