Re: [DML] Alternators

[Chris Almy <chris.almy@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Japheth,
I had this exact same problem. The battery would be undercharged causing 
starting problems even though it and the alternator were new. In my case, 
it was from the main battery ground being rusted and dirty. This creates a 
lot of resistance, which robs current to the starter. Jumping the car works 
because the battery that's used for the jump is grounded through the jumper 
cables. The volt meter on the dash would still read fine because you're 
getting full voltage from the alternator after startup.

It's very easy to test for this condition. Simply disconnect the negative 
cable from the battery and attach it to a multi meter. Now using the other 
meter lead, check the resistance using some ground points in the car. In a 
perfect world, you would have 0 Ohms of resistance, but 1 or 2 is fine. Any 
more and you should consider cleaning the ground. In my case, I had over 40 
Ohms!

A quick band-aid I used (as a temporary fix ONLY until the ground was 
cleaned), was to attach a single jumper cable to the negative battery 
terminal. Then I would attach the other end to the mounting bolt for the 
passenger side seat belt. This allowed the battery to be fully charged and 
lowered the resistance.

One word of caution when cleaning this main grounding point! There is a 
lock nut as well as a welded nut on the frame. Make sure to loosen this 
lock nut first before trying to remove the bolt. You will have a very bad 
day if the bolt breaks.

Chris
VIN 4099

At 07:39 PM 2/21/2005 +0000, you wrote:
>Hey guys, I am curious how long the stock alternators last?  I still
>have one and my D' is one of the first 81's.  Last night I had a lot
>of trouble starting it.  I had power to everything electrical
>headlights, radio, AC, cooling fans,etc. , but the car would not
>start.  After hooking up some jumper cables the car started.  I know
>that when you have power, but the engine does not turn over, that
>the alternator is probably going.  After jumping it, it held it's
>charge and was running at 13 volts all the way home(about 17
>miles).  Any thoughts would be appreciated.  I either need a new
>battery or new alternator, and if it's the latter then that will be
>really expensive.
>
>Thanks
>
>Japheth VIN: 1223






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