Hello, I had a car (1999 Camaro) jumped and brought to Menikie. They tested the battery and said it was dead. They replaced the battery and and the car worked.
They checked the battery with some unknown device to me and they said that the stick was moving around back and forth.
they told me this means that the alternator needs to be changed.
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are they taking me for a ride or are they right. I have a voltmeter on the dash in my car and if that was the same test they used, my stick on the voltmeter does go back and forth a bit, but never in the red zone.
they did say that the cra had 100,000 miles and the alternator needed to go.
so what's the story. How long until drive unitl/or if I have a problem?Car battery replaced, but quetsion about alternator?My best guess from what you said is that one or more of the diodes in your Alternator is blown. Alternators produce alternating current (back and forth), whereas cars use direct current (one direction). Think of alternating current like positive and negative energy. The job of the diodes is to let through the positive energy, but block the negative energy.
You could get it checked for free at Autozone or the like, but from what I've heard,they often don't check for this. To check for this specific thing, all that's needed is an AC (alternating current) Volt-Meter, which is different than the one in your car.
I suggest you ask your friends and neighbors if they know a good local independent mechanic shop, and have them check for that specifically. Shouldn't cost much, and they may waive the testing fee if you have them repair it.Car battery replaced, but quetsion about alternator?Go to Auto Zone, and get another FREE test. This will verify. You probably DO need a new alternator and VOLTAGE REGULATOR. Many times, the battery goes bad from an internal short in the alternator. They sometimes need to be replaced together, or so my local alternator shop tells me.Car battery replaced, but quetsion about alternator?If you have put in a new battery, and the voltage is rising and falling then the alternator is at fault. It needs to be about 14.5 Volts.Car battery replaced, but quetsion about alternator?if the battery keeps going dead then it,s probably the alternator not charging the battery.
