Voltage Issue

[Willicuddy]

Ok so when I start my car it reads 14.2 volts (on the SAFC). Then after about 5-10 mins of driving it goes down to 13.0-13.3. This has been going on for a while (noticed it a couple months back). I have a remanufactured alternator and new batt as of 7 months ago.

Im just wondering if the problem would be the alternator because if it has been going on for such a long time, souldn't the batt be dead by now??

 

[bluetlr2001]

13 volts is good because you have to take in mind its not reading directly from your alternator its reading from the wires inside your car. They want show as much as the alternator itself does. My apexi turbo timer only shows 11-12 volts after i drive it around. But at the alternator it shows between 13-14 volts. So its not a big worry.

 

[Willicuddy]

Why would it start at 14.2 and drop to 13.0-13.3 when the car is warm?? Isn't that a sign of the regulators going bad??

 

[The Wave]

I had that same problem, and my alternator died about a month later

 

[Willicuddy]

I had that same problem, and my alternator died about a month later

Did you notice any other issues that came along with the weak alternator, like drivability issues?

Gotta love how they give you a 6 month warrenty on the alternator and it starts going at 7 months later,

 

[HyperTSi93]

Mine does the same thing and last time it did that my alternator went out a couple months later.

 

[2bclutch]

I had the same issue.. getting the Volts down to about 12.5-12.0 that is really draining the system though with High Beams and operating the power windows all at the same time. That put a load on the system. I'm pretty sure it was the original Altenator (about 120,000 miles on it) so I replaced it and now it will go as low as about 13.5 and back up to about 14.0. It will drop a bit below that if I put load on it but it recovers fairly quickly. It sounds like your altenator is doing what mine is doing. I replaced the old "Wal-Mart Special" Battery that was in the car with an Optima Red Top and replaced the altenator with a Worldwide Altenator.

 

[bluetlr2001]

YOu can go have them test your alternator but like i said my alternator has been on my car for over 2 years and the dealership put it on so its not after market. But my voltage drops to aroun 11-12v when idiling but when you let it idle with the lights in the turbo timer drops down to 10.3v. But when it shows that i can test the voltage coming out of the alternator and it aroun 13v which is good. The dealer ship told me if it stays around 12.5-13v its good because you dont want to over hcarge your battery or youll have acid pouring out every where. But just go to a parts store and have them test it when its showing low voltage.