Chargin questions
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Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Orange County, CA
Chargin questions
If an alternator is working in hot weather, say 115 very low humidty, will that lower its ability to charge? Or could the battery be the problem (I know batteries don't like very hot weather, and it can shorten their life span). Asking because I just got back from Phoenix this weekend, and most of the time I was their the voltmeter read approx 10-11 volts while in hot temps, as I was heading back, and got back into a little cooler weather here in California the gauge went back to where it normally sits, about 12-13 volts. The voltmeter stayed within the "normal" range the whole time, but still curious why it was reading so different. Any ideas? Battery? Alternator? The alt is pretty new, but the battery is a cheap AutoZone one 
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Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Virginia
Very high temps will affect the resistance in the windings of starters and I also assume alternator windings.
But, unless the alternator was running out of capacity, the regulator should have seen the lower voltage and instructed the alt to raise it's output.
So I would have a tendency to think the heat affected the regulator more than the alternator or the battery.
But, unless the alternator was running out of capacity, the regulator should have seen the lower voltage and instructed the alt to raise it's output.
So I would have a tendency to think the heat affected the regulator more than the alternator or the battery.
