I need an answer real quick......Alternator or Battery??
#1
I need an answer real quick......Alternator or Battery??
OK the other day my car just all of a sudden wouldn't crank. The headlights came on but were dim and eventually wouldn't come on at all. I got a jump but once I cut the car off it would not start again. I put a voltmeter on the battery and get 12V. Which one is bad, the alternator or the battery? Help Me REAL FAST!!!
#2
RE: I need an answer real quick......Alternator or Battery??
you could have a problem with the charging system, if it was exactly 12v the battery is at 25% charged, a full chargerd battery will be 12.6v, most likely its a weak/bad battery
most auto stores have something they can use to check the charging system, have them check it out so you dont waste money
most auto stores have something they can use to check the charging system, have them check it out so you dont waste money
#3
RE: I need an answer real quick......Alternator or Battery??
I would say battery. Did you just get it jumped, and then kill it real quick? Just curious if you saw how the voltage gauge was reading while it was running.
#5
RE: I need an answer real quick......Alternator or Battery??
Could still be either one. I've had a battery before that showed the volts, but no longer had the amps to crank the engine. To really know, you need to test the voltage output at the alternator while the engine is running. Or take the battery and alternator in for a load test.
#6
RE: I need an answer real quick......Alternator or Battery??
Take the alternator and get it tested. As Camaro 69 said, you can have a battery that outputs the correct voltage, but it can't output enough current to crank the motor. You can't get a good picture of what condition a battery is in just by testing the voltage, all that will tell you is if it has a bad cell. The voltage curve for a battery is almost flat and then it drops off extremely quickly at the end of it's life, you would have to pull a reasonable amount of current from the battery and watch to see if there was a voltage drop once you put a load across the battery. Or you could go for the easy solution and get stuff tested...
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post