Bizzy
SHO Member
- Joined
- May 1, 2001
- Messages
- 13,222
- Reaction score
- 1,462
After this past weekend and some spirited driving I have learned that the under drive pullies don't necessarily help that much in preventing damage to your accessories. 
With some 4th gear pulls across the pike I noticed a slight "aroma" which I thought at the time was perhaps a belt, though there was no noise (squeeling) that would indicate a belt though.
Later that day I noticed when the car would sit at idle or when putzing around town that the ABS light and battery lights would flicker on and off and the blower fan speed would increase and decrease with the changes in RPM's. There were a few times when sitting at a light that the climate control and radio would shut off and then come back on again so I knew that something in the system was failing and draining the battery. I figured it was the alternator even though it was just put on brand new in September. The battery is also new from this past summer and has never given me a lick of problems.
While I continued to drive it with little or no problems during the day, yesterday I was letting it warm up while I cleared the snow from the car and the driveway. Before going inside to grab my coffee I check the gauges (I usuallly don't do that) and I noticed that the battery and ABS lights were on steady and bright. Even though I knew that it wasn't going to start back up again I turned it off. Turned the key forward...click click click click. Well shit right?
Gave the car a jump start and let it run for awhile with no fan on, turned it off, back to on...click click click. So thus out the window went everything I had planned on doing yesterday. No presents for you guys I guess.
So I charged the battery up with my handy dandy battery charger, broke out my Fluke meter when it was done and measured the volts across the battery terminals. I got some very erratic readings and it was actually hard to tell the exact voltage as it was spiking. This concerned me...just a little bit. I worried about damage to other components if it was spiking.
Later on I decided to go back out and test it again. The car's battery was still fully charged from earlier in the day as I hadn't driven anywhere. Turn the meter on and the display was blank. Well WTH......then occurred to me that the battery had been in the meter for more than a year so I swapped it out. The readings I got the second time around were much better, and while the readings were not a good sign for the alternator, it was not spiking like it previously had been. I'm assuming that the low battery in the meter was causing that.
The readings I got from measuring across the battery terminals was 12.5 when the car was off. 14.6 with the car running at idle but nothing else on. When the headlights alone were turned on (no fan, no radio, no interior lights on) the reading dropped to 12.0. I didn't measure the voltage out from the back of the alternator (it was dark out and I couldn't see very well) but I intend on doing that today before I pull it off. I did touch a flathead screwdriver to the back of the case and there was a magnetic pull to it but I don't think that little test is as reliable as actually seeing the voltage with the meter.
The alternator is under warranty and they're ordering another one that'll be there tomorrow. Today's project is removing the alternator and replacing the old rusty bracket that's on there now with a nice clean powdercoated one that Mels was so kind in having done for me.
Moral of the story is that new batteries in your meter is always a good idea. And that even though bad things happen at times you can make it a positive and learning experience. Not only have I never measured the voltage before but this will be my first time in replacing an alternator by myself. I'm familiar with the proceedures in doing it, but I'm actually glad that I finally get to do it all by myself...even though it's 25° outside and snowy. More stories to come later today I'm sure.
(Why I'm posting this hear I have no clue...I don't need any advice for a change. )
With some 4th gear pulls across the pike I noticed a slight "aroma" which I thought at the time was perhaps a belt, though there was no noise (squeeling) that would indicate a belt though.
Later that day I noticed when the car would sit at idle or when putzing around town that the ABS light and battery lights would flicker on and off and the blower fan speed would increase and decrease with the changes in RPM's. There were a few times when sitting at a light that the climate control and radio would shut off and then come back on again so I knew that something in the system was failing and draining the battery. I figured it was the alternator even though it was just put on brand new in September. The battery is also new from this past summer and has never given me a lick of problems.
While I continued to drive it with little or no problems during the day, yesterday I was letting it warm up while I cleared the snow from the car and the driveway. Before going inside to grab my coffee I check the gauges (I usuallly don't do that) and I noticed that the battery and ABS lights were on steady and bright. Even though I knew that it wasn't going to start back up again I turned it off. Turned the key forward...click click click click. Well shit right?
Gave the car a jump start and let it run for awhile with no fan on, turned it off, back to on...click click click. So thus out the window went everything I had planned on doing yesterday. No presents for you guys I guess.
So I charged the battery up with my handy dandy battery charger, broke out my Fluke meter when it was done and measured the volts across the battery terminals. I got some very erratic readings and it was actually hard to tell the exact voltage as it was spiking. This concerned me...just a little bit. I worried about damage to other components if it was spiking.
Later on I decided to go back out and test it again. The car's battery was still fully charged from earlier in the day as I hadn't driven anywhere. Turn the meter on and the display was blank. Well WTH......then occurred to me that the battery had been in the meter for more than a year so I swapped it out. The readings I got the second time around were much better, and while the readings were not a good sign for the alternator, it was not spiking like it previously had been. I'm assuming that the low battery in the meter was causing that.
The readings I got from measuring across the battery terminals was 12.5 when the car was off. 14.6 with the car running at idle but nothing else on. When the headlights alone were turned on (no fan, no radio, no interior lights on) the reading dropped to 12.0. I didn't measure the voltage out from the back of the alternator (it was dark out and I couldn't see very well) but I intend on doing that today before I pull it off. I did touch a flathead screwdriver to the back of the case and there was a magnetic pull to it but I don't think that little test is as reliable as actually seeing the voltage with the meter.
The alternator is under warranty and they're ordering another one that'll be there tomorrow. Today's project is removing the alternator and replacing the old rusty bracket that's on there now with a nice clean powdercoated one that Mels was so kind in having done for me.
Moral of the story is that new batteries in your meter is always a good idea.
And that even though bad things happen at times you can make it a positive and learning experience. Not only have I never measured the voltage before but this will be my first time in replacing an alternator by myself. I'm familiar with the proceedures in doing it, but I'm actually glad that I finally get to do it all by myself...even though it's 25° outside and snowy. More stories to come later today I'm sure.(Why I'm posting this hear I have no clue...I don't need any advice for a change.
)
