About a 2 weeks ago I noticed that my ac blower would not blow as hard as it used too but when I pressed on the gas pedal it would blow harder with the rpm's going up and then back down when i came to a stop. The other day I went to start the 55 and the car groaned but would not start without a jump. So I jump on the internet to diagnose my problem...it seems maybe an alternator problem ...maybe a battery problem but I haven't had a chance to have the battery load tested yet.
I have a one wire alternator set up, but there are two red #4ish wires attached to the back lug. I pulled out my trusty amp/volt meter and from directions from several youtube videos I checked out the alt and batt...here's what I got. The battery initially had 11.9 volts and would not start the car. After starting with a jump, The batt read the same. I checked the alt and it also read 11.9..My batt is in the trunk so when I checked the alt I put the black probe on a ground source on the radiator support and the red directly on the lug...don't know if this is good but that's how I got the alt reading. Once I got the car started i let it idle for a while to see if it would charge up. It didn't...the readings kept getting lower down to 7.4. I had an old alt that was working when it was removed from a previous car and installed it...same same...7.4. The battery reading mirrored the alt readings. I took both alts to auto zone and had them checked. The one that was on the car when I bought it failed three test. The one I had from a previous car passed three times so I put that one back on.
In the afternoon I put the battery on a charger. it came up to 12.4 by early evening so I took it off the charger and figured I would check the batt in the morning. Same reading 12.4.
I went to work, when I came home I checked the batt again...12.0 but it started the car. The alt read the same. I turned off the car for about 5 minutes. The car groaned and would not start...reading at the batt (with car off) was now 9.2. I also read this thread after doing a search https://www.trifive.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164028&highlight=charging&page=2 and my problems seem the be the same or at least very close to it...my idiot light is either not hooked up or not working. I've had the car for a little over 2 years without any electric problems until now. Anyone have any suggestion on what my next move should be...either way i will be buying a new alt because the one that came off is chrome and gets very hot (ac compressor is not polished so i will get a std finish that will match the look of the ac compressor better). So based on my problem what do you think...bad alt...bad batt or both...or is something else causing the problem(s). I would like to say wiring comes easy to me but it doesn't...but I can follow diagrams and sketches pretty good, so that/those would help me tremendously.
Thanks
Rick
I have a one wire alternator set up, but there are two red #4ish wires attached to the back lug. I pulled out my trusty amp/volt meter and from directions from several youtube videos I checked out the alt and batt...here's what I got. The battery initially had 11.9 volts and would not start the car. After starting with a jump, The batt read the same. I checked the alt and it also read 11.9..My batt is in the trunk so when I checked the alt I put the black probe on a ground source on the radiator support and the red directly on the lug...don't know if this is good but that's how I got the alt reading. Once I got the car started i let it idle for a while to see if it would charge up. It didn't...the readings kept getting lower down to 7.4. I had an old alt that was working when it was removed from a previous car and installed it...same same...7.4. The battery reading mirrored the alt readings. I took both alts to auto zone and had them checked. The one that was on the car when I bought it failed three test. The one I had from a previous car passed three times so I put that one back on.
In the afternoon I put the battery on a charger. it came up to 12.4 by early evening so I took it off the charger and figured I would check the batt in the morning. Same reading 12.4.
I went to work, when I came home I checked the batt again...12.0 but it started the car. The alt read the same. I turned off the car for about 5 minutes. The car groaned and would not start...reading at the batt (with car off) was now 9.2. I also read this thread after doing a search https://www.trifive.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164028&highlight=charging&page=2 and my problems seem the be the same or at least very close to it...my idiot light is either not hooked up or not working. I've had the car for a little over 2 years without any electric problems until now. Anyone have any suggestion on what my next move should be...either way i will be buying a new alt because the one that came off is chrome and gets very hot (ac compressor is not polished so i will get a std finish that will match the look of the ac compressor better). So based on my problem what do you think...bad alt...bad batt or both...or is something else causing the problem(s). I would like to say wiring comes easy to me but it doesn't...but I can follow diagrams and sketches pretty good, so that/those would help me tremendously.
Thanks
Rick
