Re:Was A letter of thanks and a little more Now Alt testing

[jtrealty@xxxx]

What you really mean is a sure way to blow the alternater and all of 
the sensitive electrical components! I know of NO procedure that 
advocates disconnecting the alternater while the motor is running! Put 
a voltmeter on the battery, read the voltage, start the motor and read 
again after about 1 minute. It should read at least .5 volts higher. A 
better test is to use an alternater tester which measures ripple so as 
to determine if any diodes are shot and full load output. 
Disconnecting the alternater while the motor is running will send a 
surge of over 100 volts through the system. If it doesn't cause 
outright damage immediatly you will see things happen later like bulbs 
blowing and computers dying. (Take note if automatic!)
* HINT* A quick and dirty way to see if the alternater is charging 
is to take something magnetic (like a pocket knife) and hold it close 
the the bearing on the end of the rotor away from the pulley. You will 
feel a strong magnetic attraction if the alternater is charging the 
battery. This is not a quantitative test, just a go-no go way to see 
if the alternater is working at all. You could also use a test light. 
It should be a little brighter when the motor is running then when it 
is off. There is no substitute for good test equipment and the 
knowledge to use it.
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757



--- In dmcnews@xxxx, "sk1pper" <sk1pper@xxxx> wrote:
> A sure way of testing the alternator is to start the car then 
remove one of the battery leads (preferbally the positive), then test 
the pos and neg for 12-17vDC. This will tell you if the alternator is 
producing electricity. I had to change my alternator and all was ok 
partly due to the old motorolla only producing 68vDC and the old 
rusted nuts causing resistance shorting out the charge. If you need to 
change the alternator, I have a list of part numbers that will get you 
a straight replacement from your local parts store, OR if you are like 
me, more power is always the way to go. I will have a new web page up 
in about 2-3 days @ www.sk1pper.com that has pic of mine and how i put 
a 140a alternator on.
> 
> Let me know if you need any more info or if this even helps ...
> 
> 
> sk1pper landry
> 
> > 
>