03 SVTF 72K. Battery Light lit up about a month ago but turned off. Over that time it turned on and off several times and never stayed lit consistently but now its ON for good. Never had a major power flux or trouble starting - Car has been running great the entire time.
First guess was the battery. Terminals were a little corroded and the fluid was a little low – fixed it up and the lights still ON. Second guess was the alternator. Checked all the connections and seems ok. Got out the volt meter and checked them both again. Battery is in the green and purged w/o dying. Alternator is in green but closer to the red(no exact number) than it is to the 14.5V in the middle of the green. I’m guessing that the Alt. is starting to go bad (as I keep hearing they do) but don’t know if that is just the normal output for this unit. As I said before, I’ve had no problems with power shortage and the light started over a month ago.
Before I go out and buy a new alt, here’s my question – Is there anything else it could be? What output should the stock alternator produce (I’ll going to try a better meter)? What symptoms should I look for in a dying alternator (I think I hear a whine but maybe I just want to pretend it does!!! :rolling
And most importantly, did anybody else’s alternator go out slow like this or did it just leave you stranded?
Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
First guess was the battery. Terminals were a little corroded and the fluid was a little low – fixed it up and the lights still ON. Second guess was the alternator. Checked all the connections and seems ok. Got out the volt meter and checked them both again. Battery is in the green and purged w/o dying. Alternator is in green but closer to the red(no exact number) than it is to the 14.5V in the middle of the green. I’m guessing that the Alt. is starting to go bad (as I keep hearing they do) but don’t know if that is just the normal output for this unit. As I said before, I’ve had no problems with power shortage and the light started over a month ago.
Before I go out and buy a new alt, here’s my question – Is there anything else it could be? What output should the stock alternator produce (I’ll going to try a better meter)? What symptoms should I look for in a dying alternator (I think I hear a whine but maybe I just want to pretend it does!!! :rolling
And most importantly, did anybody else’s alternator go out slow like this or did it just leave you stranded? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
