Alternator question

[Martin_172]

hi, if an alternator is going to die will it do it over time or just die one day? the problem being is that because i cant drive yet my cars not getting a drive about that much and if i am cleanin it or somthing and have music playing i only get about 10mins before my battery goes flat and wont start the car (only thing changed is the head unit, no amps etc) and then today i had music playing but had the engine running and when i turned the engine off i forgot i hadnt put the windows up, so i done it and they went up REALLY REALLY slow and sounded like the battery was going flat, so i started the engine to check if the battery was flat and it died on me and cut out, so i started it again and it tried to cut out but i gave it a rev to keep it alive.

now is my alternator dying and not charging properly or is it just because its only idling at 500rpm and not really charging it quick? ive got plans for an amp, front components and a sub, so should i upgrade the alternator and/or the battery?

 

[Clarkie172]

sounds like the batt fooked! go to a motor factors and they will test it for u! then put a multimeter across your battery terminals and rev it, it should be 13.5-14.5 ish if its charging!

 

[Martin_172]

cheers mate ill give that a go.

also the cars only 3 years old with nearly 120,000 miles on the clock if that helps decide if its the battery or alternator.

 

[Day]

Mine just died mate... 30 miles from home as well

Alternator was only 6 months old (allegedly)

 

[White16valver]

If its not being driven then the alternator wont charge the battery because the engines never running.

You need to do a long drive once in a while to get some power back into the battery - Im sure I read somewhere that it takes 20 minutes of driving to put the same amount of power back into the battery as it takes to get it started, though that time may well be b*ll*cks. lol

I think mines not happy because Im not going on any decently long journeys!



[Edited by White16valver on 01 September 2005 at 7:07pm]

edit: my alternators going as well! Its a disease! LoL

 

[Clarkie172]

if u get it running mate, put a voltmeter across battery terminals and look for more than 12.6v if u have 13.5-14.5 your alternator is fine! i think it will be your batt tbh. that 20 min thing is prob correct! or the principle is anyway because your car draws silly amounts of current on start up!

 

[Martin_172]

well if that 20 min thing is true thats probably my problem.

 

[Fred@BTM]

the mk2 phs2 1.2 16Vs on a Y and 51 plate had dodgy batts frow factory

well all the ones ive dealt with have had a new battery at some point!!

 

[Martin_172]

Mine is a 2002 02 plate but cheers for the info anyway

 

[Fred@BTM]

Quote: Originally posted by Martin_89 on 02 September 2005
Mine is a 2002 02 plate but cheers for the info anyway

those too i think

i dont understand the new number plate system LOL!!!