Quick question about farm truck

Anonymous-0 · Oct 15, 2009

Hey guys,
Trying to get that 86 Silverado I bought going. Took the alternator into parts place, they said it was no good, bought another. Also installed new battery. Installed alternator. With truck running or not, revved or at idle, my multimeter always reads 12.54 volts at battery posts. If the new alternator was working, wouldn't / shouldn't it read around 13-14 volts? All the lights are dim /power windows / windshield wipers are slow, I think I got voltage problems.

tlak · Oct 15, 2009

I started having the parts stores check the new ones, not going through all that work for nothing.

Goose · Oct 15, 2009

It's possible you got a bad alternator. Take back where you got it and have them test it.

A lot of people don't realize it, but the national failure rate of all brands of reman starters and alternators is something like 12%. I found that out 15 years ago when I was selling private label parts.

Go for the simple stuff first.

twopop · Oct 15, 2009

dont remember when they started ,but some vehicles have an alt fuse on the fender well.make sure you have power at the batt post on alt

mEl · Oct 15, 2009

Is the alternator light working on the dash, if the alternator is not self exciting it requires a voltage from the ignition switch through the warning bulb to excite the alternator. If the circuit is open the alternator can be good but not exciting. If so, the circuit must be repaired so the alt gets the signal it needs. The alternative would be to have a self exciting regulator installed in the new alternator that starts charging on its own when the engine is revved a bit after startup. mEl

bradk · Oct 15, 2009

Check with your voltmeter to see what the voltage is at the single large wire is at the alternator.Should have battery voltage thereIf not,you might have an open fusible link or corroded wire from there to battery.

Bob · Oct 15, 2009

Check the voltage (engine RUNNING) at the #1 and #2 terminals of the 2-pin alternator connector and post back.

There MAY be a "gauges" or "instruments" fuse blown... check for that.

iowatom · Oct 16, 2009

Wire between alt. and bat. broke somewhere in the loom on my "84. I just bypassed loom and put a new wire directly from alt. to bat. (amazing what you can come up with at 3 in the morning plowing snow)

Quick question about farm truck

Anonymous-0

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tlak

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Goose

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twopop

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mEl

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bradk

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Bob

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iowatom

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