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Canadian67
03-20-2006, 03:32 PM
Okay, my cars battery kept dying on me. When i was driving with the heater on high...the radio would cut out, headlights dim. So i went and bought a new alternator, put it in and still seem to have problems. I put a tester on it and it is testing 12ish....to low. It never gets higher than that. I took new alternator back and got a new one.....same problems. All my fuses are good and so is tha battery. How do i bench test an alternator and what do i do to solve my problems......

89 lx
1989accordaz
03-20-2006, 08:15 PM
Is your battery light coming on?

Have you had your battery tested?

You have repalced your alternator twice with new ones, chances are that the alt is not the problem. Have your battery tested at any autoshop, and try it.
Swap_File
03-20-2006, 08:46 PM
When I got my free 1989 Accord the previous owner had replaced the battery and alternator, and still couldn't get the car to keep a charge.

Turns out the alternator cable just needed to be re-crimped. It worked fine after that.
Oldblueaccord
03-21-2006, 03:39 AM
Okay, my cars battery kept dying on me. When i was driving with the heater on high...the radio would cut out, headlights dim. So i went and bought a new alternator, put it in and still seem to have problems. I put a tester on it and it is testing 12ish....to low. It never gets higher than that. I took new alternator back and got a new one.....same problems. All my fuses are good and so is tha battery. How do i bench test an alternator and what do i do to solve my problems......
89 lx

Your on the right track it should be about 14v volts running and a good charged battery at rest should be 12.7v. if you have an amp clamp you can check for its amp output as well.


wp
Blkblurr
03-21-2006, 09:40 AM
the alternater needs 12vdc from the battery to create a magnetic field. If the wire from the battery to alt is not connected properly or broken, it will not produce voltage. I think SWAP FILE mentioned this.
Oldblueaccord
03-21-2006, 07:30 PM
the alternater needs 12vdc from the battery to create a magnetic field. If the wire from the battery to alt is not connected properly or broken, it will not produce voltage. I think SWAP FILE mentioned this.

yeah if the field wire is not excited it wont charge. I just dont know which one it is on our cars so I didnt mention it.

Good point.

wp