Alternator questions
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 237
Likes: 3
From: Athens, Tx
Alternator questions
Is it possible for an alternator to not work while idling, but work while driving? Reason I ask is because at idle with engine warmed up to operating temps my Scan Gauge can read anywhere from 12-12.7 volts. I got out this morning and put a DVM on each battery while idling and batteries read 12.6. My batteries are only about 3 months old. I had to swap out the driverside battery about a month ago because it was leaking, and when I took it in the auto parts store guy wanted to make sure it was his problem and not mine so he put load tester on them individually and the tester lit up saying alt was bad. I argued with him about it because I had never had to charge batteries so therefor how could the alt not be charging. I kicked it up on high idle and it no longer said alt was bad. Running down the road the volts will read up to 13.4 depending on cruising speed. Thanks guys and hopefully this makes since.
Matt
Matt
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 19,060
Likes: 238
From: Saratoga Springs,UT
not shure exacty what they call it but your Alternator has a Dead Spot
A bad alternator can take out your other electronics like Batts,FICM
lots of folks here run DC Power alternators
it has a smaller pulley on it so it can keep up at idel
Besides the smaller pulley its built alot better
check it out
https://www.dcpowerinc.com/
Im happey with it so far 10 more months/3000 miles and it will pass my last motocraft one that didnt have anymore than 5000 miles on it
A bad alternator can take out your other electronics like Batts,FICM
lots of folks here run DC Power alternators
it has a smaller pulley on it so it can keep up at idel
Besides the smaller pulley its built alot better
check it out
https://www.dcpowerinc.com/
Im happey with it so far 10 more months/3000 miles and it will pass my last motocraft one that didnt have anymore than 5000 miles on it
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 237
Likes: 3
From: Athens, Tx
Thanks for the link Benny. It is weird because I can be running down the road reading 13+ volts, but as soon as I slow back to an idle it will drop right back down, and then last night leaving work I had turned on defroster to high and at about 1800 rpm the scan gauge was saying 12.4 +/- a few. Forgot to add it's an '05
Hotshot
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 19,060
Likes: 238
From: Saratoga Springs,UT
is the Battery light on
have you cleaned the connections including the 2 main engine grounds
heres some more links
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/a...9&d=1302918849
http://www.pvv.org/~syljua/merc/TooSeptST07.pdf
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have you cleaned the connections including the 2 main engine grounds
heres some more links
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/a...9&d=1302918849
http://www.pvv.org/~syljua/merc/TooSeptST07.pdf
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Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 237
Likes: 3
From: Athens, Tx
Nope battery light has not come on except for prior to starting. Also the only connection I cleaned was the lug on alternator itself today, but ran out of time cause I needed to get ready for work. Not sure of the ground locations, but if they are in one of links you posted I will get them in the morning.
Matt
Matt
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