What are the symptoms of a bad alternator in a Chevy Silverado?
Outside of the battery warning light, a dead battery is the most common symptom of a bad alternator. As the alternator can no longer supply your Silverado with an adequate power supply, it will begin to feed off of the reserve in the battery.
What should the voltage be on an alternator?
Alternator Testing: What Is The Correct Voltage? For some alternators, it’s normal to see as low as 13 volts. For some, a constant 13.6 volts is an indication of a problem.
Why does my car have a bad alternator?
Many so-called alternator problems turn out to be nothing more than a bad connection at the alternator or a bad wiring harness. If you see a modern vehicle that measures the life or temperature of the battery, it is bad practice to use the positive and negative battery terminals to power aftermarket accessories.
How do you set the voltmeter on a Silverado?
Set it to read voltage. Specifically, you’ll need to set it to 20V DC. With your Silverado turned off, you’ll connect the negative side of the meter to the negative battery post or wire. You’ll then touch the positive side of the voltmeter to the positive battery wire.
Outside of the battery warning light, a dead battery is the most common symptom of a bad alternator. As the alternator can no longer supply your Silverado with an adequate power supply, it will begin to feed off of the reserve in the battery.
What should the voltage of an alternator be?
This time it should be at least 14.2 volts if the alternator is healthy and charging the battery. If voltage is good, turn on the headlights, interior lights, radio, heater and any other electrical load. The meter should still display above 13 volts.
Many so-called alternator problems turn out to be nothing more than a bad connection at the alternator or a bad wiring harness. If you see a modern vehicle that measures the life or temperature of the battery, it is bad practice to use the positive and negative battery terminals to power aftermarket accessories.
When does the alternator light turn on the battery?
On older vehicles, the battery light would turn on the alternator light when the alternator output or battery voltage dropped below a preset value. The battery light on modern vehicles, however, is controlled by data and trouble codes. This is why a scan tool is essential to diagnosing a charging system.