Car just began starting sluggishly when it hasn't been run in a while. Sounds just like a battery thats dying.

I testing the electrical system on the car to see if it's failing. The system is running at 18 Volts (at least when the car is parked at idle)!! I assume this is a sign of a bad regulator? I checked with two different multi-meters and they both read 16 volts initially, and it kept creeping up very slowly to 18 volts eventually. I'm assuming this over voltage is damaging my battery and causing the harder starts?

If it is the regulator, do I need to replace the entire alternator unit? Pep Boys quotes $209 for the thing. Hope there are better deals than that!

Thanks for the help. And just when I though I got it all running right again...

Mike

 

check a rebuild shop, they should sell for $100 or so, yeah its overcharging, could be a bad battery that the alternator is trying to overcharge, swap it out and reread the voltage.

 

Autozone, and checker have alternators for less than $125. They both have lifetime warranty, and atleast around here, they put you in the computer for warranty purposes. Pep boys has no other recourse than "keep the cheap thermal receipt"...unless you have pep boys do the labor work...then they have an almighty computer to track it.

I don't know if the regulators are cheap or easy to get....but I'd pull the alternator and battery, and have either autozone and/or checker check 'em for free.

16-18V is definitely wrong.

edit: I'd still keep the receipt in case of warranty, but its usually alot easier for them to plug in yer phone number, and voila...new thingamajig for free.

 

the norm is 12V, so def. an overcharge. As everyone said, have the whole charging system checked out.

 

just tried to start the car this morning.... battery read 14 volts still, after sitting overnight for 9 hours. Sure enough, even with 14 volts, the car failed to turn over.

So at least I know I have a crappy battery. But I wonder what made it go bad. I don't want to ruin another one.

Thanks all.

Mike

 

I dont think the battery caused the intial problem. I would check your alternator, sounds like the voltage regulator fried and started to drift to 18 volts. Unfortunitly on our cars the voltage regulator is internal, so the alternator has to be removed for testing.

 

Okay, okay, okay. You can all take turns calling me an idiot. I learned today that when you use a digital multi-meter, and it tells you that its battery is weak, then don't trust the results!

All the drifting voltages were due to my dying multi-meter. With a new 6V battery, the multi-meter correctly read the car voltage (engine running) at 14.4V, the new car battery I bought was at 12.5V, and the old battery I replaced was a dud, reading 11.3V.

So, take it from me, make sure you are diagnosing with the correct tools! Luckliy I caught this before I ordered a new alternator/voltage regulator.

Thanks for all the help though.

Mike

 

Well damn, I was about to say, go to the audio forum, i'm sure there are some guys there who would like to know how to run that many volts through they're systems...