Re: Jumpy Voltage & Loss of Power

[Matt Coates <bencoates@yahoo.com>]

Justin,
     What's your alternator like... old? original? How about the voltage
regulator?  The Bentley has a test for the alternator to give you a clue if the
alternator is bad, or if the voltage regulator is on it's way out.  Put a
voltmeter/tester across the battery, start the car and keep the revs at 3K or
so.  Check the voltage.  Now turn on the lights, defrost, A/C & check the
voltage.  If the voltage drops with the accessories on, the voltage regulator
may need to be replaced.  You can take the alternator to the local parts store
and have it bench tested to verify.

Also, don't trust the voltmeter in the car.  They are known to be less than
accurate.  If you can't reproduce the problem in the garage/driveway, run some
wires directly from the battery terminals into the car and connect them to your
multi-meter/voltmeter so you can get accurate reading while you drive around.

HTH,
Matt
'87 16v roc


>Now it will get to 14 volts,
> but it will fluctuate, sometimes all the way down to 12 volts. When I turn
> my headlights on it stays between 12 and 13 volts. 

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