Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:41:18 -0400
Reply-To: Cullen Stewart <cullberly@VERMONTEL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Cullen Stewart <cullberly@VERMONTEL.NET>
Subject: Re: electrical testing proceedure question..Not van specific,
but..
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="Windows-1252";
reply-type=original
Check the continuity on all of the fusible links. They were the culprit on
my old chevy when it decided to quit, I do not remember how many, but a
couple of them were above the distributor on the firewall. They are easy to
find due to the obvious weak spot in the insulation.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Hanson" <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 2:16 PM
Subject: electrical testing proceedure question..Not van specific, but..
> ...It may help some listee who's maybe wanting to learn to test the
> output
> of a van's alternator.
>
> I'm trying to figure why my SO's old chev farm truck won't keep starting.
> 70s era 350 Chev that's been un-killable. She uses it carelessly around
> the
> place to drag, haul horse sh*t, go to the dump, etc. It gets absolutely
> no
> care..Lately, she's been jumping it to make it run..today, I get the
> pleasant task of 'fixing it'..Love the Honey-do's...not..but..
>
> So, the battery is 7 years old..Probably time for a new one, yes? After
> cleaning all the ground points and the terminals and putting it on the
> charger overnight, it shows 12.57 at the terminals when the truck is
> running
> and the same when it is not running...
> "Aha!" I think, "The alternator is shot, too" So I dismantle enough so I
> can put my multimeter onto the alternator terminals, but I realize I know
> not what to expect or haven't a clue as to how to diagnose the readings I
> get. There are two smaller wires leading to a double spade plug in a
> rubber
> boot. I get a low voltage reading across those like about .4 or somesuch..
> There is one larger wire on a ring connector that is bolted on to a post
> on
> the alternator. That one disappears under the headers, perhaps going to
> the
> starter?..anyway, I read the same voltage, truck running, (12.57) off the
> large post (output?) as I get off the battery terminals when I read
> directly
> across the battery..I assume, and this is the question, that the large
> wire
> is the output for the alternator and should read +13~ v..right? My van, I
> get a reading across the battery of around 13.4 when the motor is
> on...12.7
> or so when it's not running.
> Did I do right? Should I get more than "ambient-- same as the battery"
> voltage from that larger terminal on the alternator? Should I pull the
> alternator and take it to my local autoparts, where they advertise "Free
> Electrical testing"? And get another battery at the same time? Help...I
> am
> an electrical dunce..
> Thanks and sorry the question isn't Van-centric on a Wednesday, yet.
>
> Don Hanson
| 
