While driving recently, the "Check Gauges" light on the dashboard came on, and I noticed that the alternator gauge was all the way down, reading 9. When I got home, put a digital voltmeter on the battery terminals, and the reading was only about 11.7 volts (with the engine running), so I figured the alternator had failed. I didn't have time to deal with it, so I parked it, and started using a different vehicle.
I finally got around to checking it out, and after starting the engine, was surprised to see that the alternator gauge was now reading nearly 14 volts. I drove about 5 miles to town, and the gauge stayed at that mark the whole time. I shut it off, went into the store, and when I came back out and restarted it, the "Check Gauges" light came on, and the gauge showed about 9 volts again. I drove home, and the gauge stayed at 9. I again checked the voltage at the battery with the engine running, and got a reading of about 11.7 volts, so it didn't appear that the alternator was charging.
A couple of hours later, I again started the engine, and was surprised to see the alt gauge now reading just a hair below 14. Keeping the engine running, a took another voltage reading at the battery terminals, and got a reading of about 13.8 volts, so apparently the alternator was then charging.
This intermittent business has me baffled. If the problem were a bad alternator, wouldn't it just never charge?
Any input welcome!
I finally got around to checking it out, and after starting the engine, was surprised to see that the alternator gauge was now reading nearly 14 volts. I drove about 5 miles to town, and the gauge stayed at that mark the whole time. I shut it off, went into the store, and when I came back out and restarted it, the "Check Gauges" light came on, and the gauge showed about 9 volts again. I drove home, and the gauge stayed at 9. I again checked the voltage at the battery with the engine running, and got a reading of about 11.7 volts, so it didn't appear that the alternator was charging.
A couple of hours later, I again started the engine, and was surprised to see the alt gauge now reading just a hair below 14. Keeping the engine running, a took another voltage reading at the battery terminals, and got a reading of about 13.8 volts, so apparently the alternator was then charging.
This intermittent business has me baffled. If the problem were a bad alternator, wouldn't it just never charge?
Any input welcome!