Alternator

Tiny
MANDAW37
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER
  • 2.4L
  • 4 CYL
  • MANUAL
  • 180,000 MILES
Battery keeps going dead, so I keep having to roll it off and pop the clutch to crank it. How do I know for sure its the alternator?
Saturday, October 22nd, 2016 AT 10:57 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,873 POSTS
Step one is to measure the battery voltage. With the engine off, it must be 12.6 volts if it is good and fully-charged. If it is around 12.2 volts, it is good but discharged. If it is around 11 volts, it has a shorted cell and must be replaced.

With the engine running, you must find between 13.75 and 14.75 volts. If it is low, it will need to look at a diagram to see what to test before condemning the generator.
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Saturday, October 22nd, 2016 AT 11:16 PM

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