Alternator bad?

How do you know for sure when the Alternator is bad? I replaced mine last year. I knew is was the Alternator then because i had all sorts of blips from the dummy light. This time around i had no red light blinking. I figured the battery was shot, Replaced it with a Bosch unit.

tonight had to pop the clutch to get the car started and it died about 1/2 mile from the house. the car just quit on me. Bad alternator?

Do you have a volt/ohm meter? With the engine running, check the voltage across the terminals of the battery- if the alternator is working, it should be over 13.4 vdc or so.

Stan is correct.....If the indicator light bulb is burnt out, it will effect the alternator out put as the Germans used this as part of the "regulation" circuit.....Make sure the bulb is good.

I read several articles where you can replace the light bulb with a diode to get same trigger event to alternator.

Check one titled NO IDIOT LIGHT

http://www.mydune-buggy.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=8&page=3

Advance Auto can check the alternator for free too.

If i am dead in the water due to a 50 cent light bulb it will be a god send. Thanks for the info. Now that I think about it, only my oil pressure light has been coming on when i turn my key. Had know idea burnt out bulb would kill the car.

Wolfgang, sorry i didnt make it over on saturday. I am wrapping up my steering column install. I now have a high beam switch and a horn. A really really loud horn. It has never worked so good. I am driving the speedster (fingers crossed) to Atlanta on Thursday, working through my list of to-do's.

I switched out the oil pressure bulb for the alt bulb and turn the key on, the alt bulb still did not light, the oil pressure did. Bulb is not bad. Opened the decklid and felt the wire ground from the alternator through the shrink wrap. it felt loose in there so pulled it to take a look and the connector. The wire easily pulled out from the shrink. the wire was maybe stripped 1/8". A new connector, a quick jump and im ack on the road.

Nice little exercise and relatively painless.

I'm giving soldering lessons da Wolfgang Platz.

And that's how we do. Nice one, Paul.

Wolfgang, I do solder some connections on my car, but not any exposed to vibration. That Alt. wire is DEFINITELY exposed to vibration. A good crimp along with a heatshrink should hold well, you just need good connectors and a good crimper, not the Harbor Freight/Dollar Store model. Believe me, I am not saying you use that in any way, shape, or form. I know wiring is one of your forte's(my accent mark attempt), I am really impressed with all the work you have shown via your pics.

Paul, glad you found it!

Paul: After looking at your pic it appears that you used a piece of heat shrink tubing that was big enough to fit over the connector, so it didn't draw down on the wire correctly. Best to use a piece that is just big enough to go over the wire and the crimp barrel. Add another piece that is a little longer (put it on the wire 1st and slide it down out of the way) to aid in strain relief. Then add another piece that is larger to go over the connector.
Doug

Leon,

Makes sense. I did not build this car the first time around. It is factory. Good tip.

and what does Danny P. know about wiring anyway...

make sure the alt wire going thru the doghouse is well insulated. one of my cars it wore thru and damn near burned my car up.

Danny - That probably explains why VS uses that red "slinky coiled" wire.

Result of looking back and craning neck to check on alternator wire?

Ha ha ha. Well, I know for a fact I won't be getting whiplash from the carts this year, I'll be hanging with Rocky on the sidelines. I can't afford that pain again, it took MONTHS to truly heal!

I like wiring, what can I say?