I checked the voltage at the battery terminals. I am using a brand new
digital multimeter that I bought yesterday, so it should be fine...
Seems to suggest that I have problem somewhere else on the car, any ideas
where to start hunting?
cheers
John
--- Douglas Braun & Nadia Papakonstantinou <dougnad@bellatlantic.net>
wrote: > 16.9 volts is too high. You will overcharge your battery
> and burn out your lights rather quickly. Are you measuring at the
> battery
> terminals? You should see something like 14 to 14.5 volts
> when the engine is running.
>
> I assume you used an accurate digital voltmeter....
>
> Doug Braun
> '72 Spit
>
>
> At 04:18 AM 11/28/00 , you wrote:
>
> >I bought a multimeter yesterday and checked the battery, the results
> >were:
> >
> >engine not running - 12.9V
> >engine idling, no extras - 16.9V
> >engine revving, heater, lights, wipers, stereo, indicators - 16.5V
> >
> >Which seems to suggest that the battery/new alternator is very
> healthy,
> >although the 16V readings were higher than I expected. Although this
> >morning driving to work with lights/heat/stereo on the car seemed to
> >struggle at around 3000-4000rpm (after that I cut the
> >lights/heat/stereo). I don't know if this is another problem(clutch
> >slipping maybe?) or if it suggests that the alternator wasn't the
> problem
> >and my battery is getting drained because of another problem somewhere
> >along the line. Or I might just be being paranoid as I often do after
> >something breaks on Saskia, I seem to notice any oddities about the
> car
> >and instantly attribute it to whatever the last problem I had was! I
> >wish I didn't worry so much!
> >
> >cheers
> >
> >John
> >
> >--- Laura Gharazeddine <Laura.G@141.com> wrote: > > Run down to "Radio
> >Shack" and buy a cheap voltmeter, VOM or DVM.
> > > > They can be purchased for about 10 bucks.
> > >
> > > Good idea!
> > >
> > > Voltage s/b around 12 volts.
> > > > without the engine running, and 13 volts with the engine
> charging.
> > > > If your light is not flickering and is off, then you most likely
> > > fixed the
> > > > problem.
> > >
> > > Ummm...I hate to break this to you all, watching for the red
> ign/alt
> > > light to come on, but...the last time my altenator went out, I was
> > > coming back from Ventura and by the time I was half way home, I
> noticed
> > > that my headlights were dimming and I didn't have any
> turnsignals-but
> > > the red ign light never came on. Car died 25miles from home, AAA
> came
> > > out and the guy was really nice, trying to trouble shoot the car.
> It
> > > was then that I noticed that the ign light didn't light up at all
> when
> > > I turned the key. Got home (with my last AAA free call) and put the
> > > battery on the charger. Noticed again after charging that the light
> > > didn't go on when I turned the key-but at least I had enough charge
> to
> > > run the car in daylight.
> > >
> > > According to my mechanic, that the ign light didn't come on at all
> was
> > > a symptom of a bad altenator. (This one lasted a WHOLE week!) When
> we
> > > got the replacement altenator on, guess what? The red light came on
> > > when I turned the key-as it's supposed to.
> > >
> > > Nigel's getting a voltmeter from Radio Shack for Christmas!
> > >
> > > Laura G.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >____________________________________________________________
>
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