Voltage Meter

[soundmaster2.0]

I have a 92 Firebird 3.1L V6. The voltage seems to be running a little high like in the 14 volt range. Is this normal?

[wrightz28]

That's around what a healthy alternator should be putting out

[soundmaster2.0]

Thanks I was just wondering because that seemed high to me. One of my friends has an 86 firebird and his is at around 12.

[wrightz28]

3rd gen gauges are rarely ever acurrate to a T. A good alternator should be running from 13.5 - 14.5 depending on the load against it.

[Blackcrow64]

14 is about what mine runs too... But the other day it dropped to 8 for some reason when I turned my defroster on...

[FormulaLT1]

Hell, I needed a 200 AMP alternator just to get out of the yellow. So 14 is friggin great.

[Blackcrow64]

Either mine is not charging the battery properly or the battery is just complete crap now... I just got home from being stranded in BFE thanks to this reliable heap...

[FormulaLT1]

Sounds like a faulty alternator to me. Maybe a bad connection as well but even if your battery is shot. The car should still be able to generate way over 8 volts while running.

[Blackcrow64]

Originally Posted by FormulaLT1

Sounds like a faulty alternator to me. Maybe a bad connection as well but even if your battery is shot. The car should still be able to generate way over 8 volts while running.

It's making 14 just fine now, just on colder days when I'm running the defroster it makes like 8-10... I checked it out and the altenator is working fine. Thats why I'm wondering if I just have a bad connection somewhere or the batterys shot. It didn't jump very easily last night so it makes me wonder...

[ikeyballz]

if you have a bad batt it wont jump easily.. if it jumps faster w.o. the batt thats prolly your problem..

[Blackcrow64]

Originally Posted by ikeyballz

if you have a bad batt it wont jump easily.. if it jumps faster w.o. the batt thats prolly your problem..

Looks like I'll be givin a new battery a try here then. Seems like the most logical thing to try first... Hopefully theres no other problems with the altenator or the wiring after this...

[wrightz28]

Put load on the alternator with the headlights and blower motor on high, put a votmeter on the alternator output side, to ground, bettery neg is okay and bring the rpms up to around 2k if the charging voltage is not restored to waht it was before the load was put on (static charge) than the alternator is saying goodbye.

If the problem only occurs when the defroster (I'm assuming the rear window) is used than you might want to start checking out the circuit.

[Blackcrow64]

Originally Posted by wrightz28

Put load on the alternator with the headlights and blower motor on high, put a votmeter on the alternator output side, to ground, bettery neg is okay and bring the rpms up to around 2k if the charging voltage is not restored to waht it was before the load was put on (static charge) than the alternator is saying goodbye.

If the problem only occurs when the defroster (I'm assuming the rear window) is used than you might want to start checking out the circuit.

Ok cool, I'll give er some testing here and hope its all good.

[Blackcrow64]

Found out my problem today... Finally got a day off from work to do some shit and I pulled the battery out. Upon removing it, the problem was quite obvious... Apparently it didn't carry enough of a charge and it froze and blew the sides out at the bottom... Hence why it would barely jump and why it wouldn't hold a freakin charge. lol

Threw a new battery in and it runs fantastic... So far... lol

[ikeyballz]

haha make sure you clean that battery up man, or else youre looking at some major corrosion a few months down the line..