If you have a maintenance free battery, look at the charge indicator (hydrometer).
otherwise, this might be an indication your belt needs adjustment or one or more of the pulleys are out of alignment. Learn how to jump-start a car and how to charge a car battery to restore battery power and increase its service life. If the alternator, battery, or engine light indicator comes on while the engine is running, this could be an indication that the alternator is not providing enough current output for the present needs of the various systems, or the battery is not getting charged. The check charging system light comes on randomly, along with red battery icon lighting up.
This time, your voltage reading across the battery should be no more than 2 volts higher than your base voltage.
Hope this helps. It takes roughly 3 hours to replace the timing belt on the Civic but the labor might be higher if you have power steering, top mount AC and/or the twin cam version of the Civic engine.
If current draw exceeds 50 mA, unplug the electrical connector from the back of the alternator. Look for proper adjustment.
Last year, it happened once, but I was never able to replicate it. Our certified mechanics come to you ã»Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guaranteeã»Fair and transparent pricing.
If 12.6 is what you are getting with the engine running, then there's a problem. You need the alternator to put out at leas 20 amps for this test. have created this guide for you so you can save money or at least see what you This outline can help you speed up your diagnostic and repair the charging system in your car. Answer: Make sure the battery is fully charged. Charging System Warning Light The charging system warning light comes on when there is a problem with the electrical charging system or when the igni-tion switch is turned on with the engine not running. Check the shifter cable alignment to the transmission and make sure that the main valve is aligned up properly.
Turn on the headlights, wipers, radio and blower motor. Answer: You can use a load tester for this.
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On the other hand, a voltage reading over 15 indicates an overcharging problem.
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For this test you'll need a digital voltmeter. YourMechanic All rights reserved. So make sure to consult your vehicle repair manual to get the specifications for your particular application. If your no-load voltage reading is lower than 13.2 or 13.8 volts or lower than base voltage, measure no-load voltage at the alternator as follows (no-load voltage specs may vary according to your particular alternator or application.
I Tested My Fuses In The Cbj And The Passenger Panel With A Circuit Tester. Watch the next video to see how you can do a simple fusible link test, a common problem that can trigger the battery or alternator light. Check the wire for insulation damage, bad connections or opens. Thanks for sending in your question. Ask an assistant to start the engine and hold engine speed at around 2000 rpm. What tests did you do and what were the results? To fix performance issues, check the intake air temperature (IAT) sensor in your car using a few simple tests. Connect the meter's positive (red) probe to the B+ terminal connector on the back of the alternator. When testing fuel injectors for common problems, you don't need to be an expert or have expensive tools. Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact your Toyota dealer. After installation, the "Check Charging System" alert is still on. You may need to have an assistant watching the indicator lights or the voltage gauge for any changes. Many charging problems come from an apparently good battery. Meet the electrical needs of the different electrical systems. © Have your charging system tested immediately (this should test both the battery and the alternator, as both can cause this problem).
Follow these brief Tips. Turn them off and wait for 2 minutes without turning any electrical accessory on.
Still, you can use a digital multimeter to get an indication of the condition of the charging system by testing for charging output and an overall charging system condition. The check charging system light comes on randomly, along with red battery icon lighting up.
(I also stopped shutting the car off between runs pretty shortly afterward, and no more issues. corrosion and loose terminals can act as resistance against electrical current, preventing the alternator to charge the battery, and eventually preventing your battery from starting the engine. Set your DMM to AC voltage and connect the meter black probe to chassis ground, and touch the positive meter terminal to the B+ terminal on the alternator.
If there's too much resistance in the charging circuit, most likely it'll force the new alternator to overcharge to compensate the voltage drop in the circuit.
Over 25,000 topics, from beginner tips to technical Your meter should read no more than 0.5 milliamps. Most vehicles come with one or more system warning indicators like an ammeter, a voltmeter, an alternator or battery indicator light. Consult your vehicle repair manual, if necessary. It is recommended that... Hi, thanks for writing in. If it continues have a mechanic scan for codes for a can/bus problem, one module may not be talking to other and he will have to find It with a scanner.
Need to test your alternator?
How to do a cooling system check to find the source of leaks, overheating, and overcooling problems.
Disconnect the wire from the B+ connector on the back of the alternator. Charging system wiring can also cause all sorts of problems. If you found no obvious problems with the wiring, your next step is to check the wiring with the engine running. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Question: What would cause the gauge in the dash to show undercharge when the alternator is good? A yellow indicator means your battery needs to be replaced.
Any change will indicate a problem with the particular wire you wiggled during your test. The compartment is located in between the armrests of the driverâs seat and the front passengerâs seat. Your dash is information central â gauges and warning lights provide you with a great deal of important information. If voltage reading is not about 0.5 volts higher than base voltage, bypass the voltage regulator to check whether your voltage regulator or alternator is bad. If your Charging System light comes on (it looks like a little battery), it means thereâs something wrong. Also, if you are testing a charging system in a modern vehicle where the computer makes 'decisions' about alternator voltage output depending on load, temperature, battery state of charge and several other factors, consult your vehicle repair manual so that you don't incorrectly blame the alternator for unusual readings. We are a team of ASE certified mechanics that
If you haven't found anything unusual so far and you think your battery is not being properly charged, do a battery drain test to make sure the problem is not somewhere else. Use your digital multimeter to do charging system tests. A worn or loose drive belt is a common issue in the chagrining system. If so, continue with the next steps; otherwise, one or more diodes are bad. Check the charging system for warning indicators: Most vehicles come with one or more system warning indicators like an ammeter, a voltmeter, an alternator or battery indicator light.
This test will check if the charging system can service the different electrical systems in your vehicle while still being able to recharge the battery. Check the battery, drive belt, pulleys and engine grounds.
Testing the voltage drop can help you find trouble spots in your starter circuit before you swap components unnecessarily. If necessary, consult your car owner's manual. Whenever you need to disconnect or remove a component in the charging system, disconnect the negative battery terminal to prevent shorting out the circuit and damaging sensitive components in your vehicle.
NOTE: If you diagnose a bad alternator, make sure to do a charging system voltage drop test as well.