Re: Two! Two! Two questions in one! (alternator checkup)

["J Johnston" <kenworth_77@xxxx>]

Travis,
I have to agree with John on this one, as far as basic maintence goes. 
When you turn the ignition on, check the voltage reading. It should be 
around 10-12 volts. Most vehicles require 10 volts to provide enough 
juice to turn the starter fast enough to crank the car on. (this will 
tell you if your battery is up to par) Once the car is on, check the 
reading again. It should be somewhere in the neighbourhood of 13 
volts. If it is under, it is one of two things. First, there is a 
short in the electrical system that is draining the battery faster 
than the alternator can recharge it or second, the alternator is bad. 
This could be either a defective alternator, or an under-powered one. 
John's alternators are a excellent replacement that provide plenty of 
juice to keep the battery sparking. If the alternator is bad, it is 
usually cause by the diodes or brushes simply wearing out. Remember 
the DeLoreans are around 20 years old, parts wear out, especially 
electrical stuff. You can have your alternator checked at most repair 
shops; they can check to see if it is providing enough juice to charge 
the battery. If it is charging, check for shorts in the wiring. 
(switches, lights, and signals are where I would start - as well as 
any wires that run near or on the frame.

Jason Johnston,
Kemco Industries, Inc.
Ft. Worth, Tx (currently Tyler)


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--- In dmcnews@xxxx, Travis Goodwin <tgoodwin@xxxx> wrote:
I can tell you that the battery is less than 2 months old. The car 
came off the truck with a dead battery, so I had Advance just replace 
it with an identical, so I am unsure of the CCAs. I jump in th car on 
Fridays (I like to drive on weekends) and the car turns over no 
problem. Saturdays I may crank it 4 or 5 times and it gets harder each 
time. Discussing it out loud like this makes me think the alternator 
may have problems. I also heard a squealing belt when I started the 
other day. Would a loose alternator belt cause poor recharging? As for 
the loose antenna base, I've found this is a semi-common problem. If I 
can devise a simple solution I will post it. Liquid Wrench here I 
come!