Battery Cable Alternator Test

When the smoke clears that simple test could end up costing you several thousand dollars for new electronics.

Battery cable alternator test.

The second you disconnect the battery the voltage regulator pegs the alternator to put out maximum power. Again you should see a reading of 0 3 volts or less to be. To do a quick check on an alternator i was told that you could start the car and then remove the negative battery cable. But it s also possible that the alternator is actually in a bad shape but is producing enough to run the.

Doing this would allow you to check whether the alternator is putting out enough current to run the vehicle. Now about the ineffectiveness of it the vehicle will run if the alternator is producing enough juice. Start vehicle and voltage on voltmeter should increase to around 13 volts and stabilize there. Test alternator by connecting voltmeter on dc 20 red on positive battery terminal and black on negative battery terminal.

That was the risk of it. Dear tom and ray. Testing alternator by removing battery cable was a valid test back in the day before computers. Technically yes but that test can also wind up destroying all the electronics in your car.

Test the negative battery cable by using the same procedure as above for the positive cable but this time you will have the red lead of the multimeter touching the metal housing of the starter motor and the black lead of the multimeter connected to the negative battery terminal. Pcm tcm electronic power steering radio etc.