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Originally Posted by TheFugitiveMind
i have a multimeter how can i test how many volts are going through my car? i think my alternator is on the way out. its a 01 passport with about 50k miles. everytime i roll down the windows at idle it seems to struggle and if the headlights are on they dim a little bit
thanks
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To test vehicle voltage...
First, ensure your multimeter is set to 20v DC.
Then, with the vehicle off, put the + (red) voltmeter lead on the positive battery terminal, and the - (black) lead on the negative terminal. Record the voltage.
Then fire up the vehicle, and while it is idling, do the same thing with the voltmeter again. The battery when the vehicle is off, should show about 12v. While idling, it should increase to 14+.
If you are not getting ~14v while the vehicle is running whether consistant or not, you should look for bad cabling, loose battery terminals, corroded or loose grounds, and finally the alternator itself.
HTH,
Steve