Re: Weak Alternator?

[Wolff <quattro200@earthlink.net>]

OK, I checked some voltages. The alternator makes 13.8 volts and holds
steady with load. Obviously it's fine. Battery sees 13.6. Again fine.
Fuse box gets 13. That seems like a bit of a drop. Radio power leads in
the car are getting 12.8.  I've been driving around thinking that the
battery was going to die any time, but it looks like I'm OK. Something
has changed though, as the gauge used to run higher. 

Ti Kan wrote:
> 
> Wolff writes:
> > I'll check it to be sure, however, the wipers slow down, the lights are
> > dimmer etc. I think it really is running at about 12 volts. I was
> > thinking more along the lines of a corroded contact on a regulator wire
> > or something, but I don't know.
> 
> It makes sense that the wipers slow down and the lights dim, because
> these accessories are also connected via the fuse box as well as grounded
> via the same ground point, and they see the same voltage drops...
> 
> -Ti
> --
>     ///  Ti Kan                Vorsprung durch Technik
>    ///   AMB Research Laboratories, Sunnyvale, CA. USA
>   ///    ti@amb.org
>  //////  http://metalab.unc.edu/tkan/
> ///