How To Check An Alternator

How to Test the Alternator with a Voltmeter Connect your meter leads on via battery terminals by looking for 138 to153 volts Please you shouldnt disconnect the negative battery cable just to test an alternator. Testing the Alternator with a Voltmeter.

How To Test An Alternator

All of the wires that lead to the alternator have to have a good and clean connection.

How to check an alternator. Thus you need to locate the serpentine or the engines drive belt and Check the tightness when you press it between two pulleys. The first step in monitoring your alternator to check the levels is to check the alternator gauge itself. Usually a bad alternator diode will cause your headlights or instrument panel lights to flicker or dim and sometimes drain battery power overnight or in minutes.

Learn how to test an alternator with a Multimeter. 4- Start the cars engine. If everything appears fine the alternator should be removed.

To check for a possible bad alternator diode switch your voltmeter to a low setting on the AC alternating current voltage scale. The very first thing you need is. There should be 136 to 143 volts showing.

Testing an AlternatorIf the alternator is working well your multimeter should read somewhere in the vicinity of 14 volts typically 138-142. Visually inspect the belt for cuts tears and missing chunks. You may become confused about the light at first.

Heres how to perform the test. The following are concrete tips and steps on how to test a car alternator using a voltmeter. Check the belts tension and condition.

With the engine off battery voltage should be between 125 and 128 volts. 2- Open your car hood to check the alternator. During your inspection ensure that you have minimized the movement of the belt so that It doesnt feel loose.

A broken cable is a common fault especially with older cars. Does your car not start do you have dim headlights or interior lights do. In that case you can test the alternator by touching the positive multimeter probe to the positive terminal on your battery and likewise the negative probe to the negative terminal on your battery.

3- Go to the drivers seat. Choose the DC option on the voltmeter as opposed to the AC. If the light goes on the alternator is surely malfunctioning.

You can trade in your alternator and your mechanic can give you a new or rebuilt alternator. If you have a voltage gauge it will show the alternator output for you and it will be easy to read and see the levels. Talk to your mechanic if your alternator is not charging your battery.

Then start the engine and check for increased voltage readings. Connect a multimeter or voltage meter to test the alternator. Turn on the blower motor on high and notice the lights intensity once again.

Conduct a Voltmeter Test. If its below that charge the battery with a battery charger before you conduct the test again. One of the easiest ways to test the integrity of your alternator is by using a very simple device called a voltmeter.

Get a cheap voltmeter. As such the first thing you Check after accessing your alternator is the tightness of the drive belt. A worn loose or damaged connector can cause a massive voltage drop.

Check to see how many volts are showing on the meter. If you see higher readings chances are the alternator is good. If the light dims and DOES NOT return to its previous intensity and CONTINUES to dim the alternator is faulty.

Check the electric connections on the alternator if the alternator is in an easy-to-access-place. The belt will fail to operate the alternator if its too loose or its stretched due to years of service causing it to slip over the pulleys. The first and the most basic indication of a problematic alternator is the blinking of the warning indicator light.

Measure the Base Voltage of the Battery. Click to see full answer. Clean the battery poles.

5- Once the engine is running leave the drivers seat. Buy or get a voltmeter at the local electronics store. A slipping belt will usually produce a squealing noise.

This is because the battery uses DC and that is what you will be testing. Power the engine at least 2000 RPMs for testing purposes. Step 4 With the vehicle running and with the headlights still on.

Just check the label if it is saying GEN on ALT. The first course of action is to check the wiring carefully that runs between the alternators main power wire and the battery.

How To Test Your Alternator Voltage Drop Test Youtube