Re: fun with wiring

[kevin f <aventari@detonate.net>]

Feenix, i have a very similar problem. 
I have a fairly new 90amp alternator and a voltmeter as well. When i first start the car, the voltage will be about 13.0 volts, and then as it warms up it goes down to about 12.5. 
If i then turn the lights on, (just the parking lights) the voltage will drop to 11.8 or so. the headlights themselves dont make a voltage difference at all.
it's very strange. I THINK this should be remedied when i pick up a new battery though. the battery i have in there is 4 or 5 years old, and it's the non-AC model, so it's smaller too.. we'll see what happens when i do that

kevin
--- Feenix <feenix@javanet.com>
> wrote:
>> 
>> Lastly, have you considered you may not be putting out very much power
>> from the Alt, once all is said and done. That, considering old wires
>> leads to parasitic losses by the time you get to the back of the car.
>> Might want to break out the meter and test a bit. Good thing our cars
>> are not much longer. :)
>> 
>> hth,
>> TBerk
>> Returning to the Roots of the List.
>
>Interesting side note on alternators. I am on my 3rd one now. Just put
>it in and I am again experiencing the same problems leading me to wonder
>wtf is going on. Should I have bought a Bosch alternator? I keep getting
>one of those "rebuilt", lifetime warranty beauties. The store employees
>run when they see my car pull up. :) Anyway, here is what it has been
>doing. Driving along all nice and happy, and the battery light starts to
>come on. Dim at first then it gets brighter. Eventually to go off again.
>Voltimeter reading just over 12. This only happens when my lights are
>on. In fact as soon as I turn on my lights the voltimeter drops down
>from over 13 to just over 12. Not even my dual amp stereo system drains
>this much power. I had asked before if this was normal and someone said
>"yeah". I don't think so. I do have H4 that are relayed. Today I will
>pull out the multimeter and check out all points and get some readings.
>I will post results and see what anyone thinks. The wiring in my car is
>really pretty good. The sockets and connectors on everything look damn
>good too. It was a california car and to my knowledge has yet to ever
>see snow. 
>
>Feenix
>80 1.8
>
>--
>Email problems to: scirocco-l-probs@scirocco.org  To unsubscibe send
>"unsubscribe scirocco-l" in the message to majordomo@scirocco.org

_____________________________________________________________
Wake up screaming. . . http://www.detonate.net/

--
Email problems to: scirocco-l-probs@scirocco.org  To unsubscibe send
"unsubscribe scirocco-l" in the message to majordomo@scirocco.org