volt proplem.

[no mufflers]

I have noticed the volt gauge in my truck is acting funny. it is the factory gauge in the dash but it seems to be pretty accurate and does react when there is a load on the battery. the gauge is twitching and I can see it in the interior lights as well. it doesn't do it all the time but it will do it for a while once it starts. it is a newer style alternator or 3G and is not even a year old yet. does this sound like a bad alternator?

 

[jwalterus]

it's your voltage fluctuating, mine does it under 1000rpm, of course I'm a 1g alternator, and I have a regulator that's set a little higher than the normal...
either way....
what's your alternator output voltage at idle?

 

[DaveBen]

Read the voltage with a volt/ohm meter to get a true reading.

Dave

 

[MTKirk]

Like posted above get a real tester on it, and your idle may be a bit too slow (maybe cold idle solenoid isn't working?), alternator could be bad as well my 3g pumps out plenty of volts at anything above 700 rpm.

 

[icanfixall]

My battery charge dash light will flicker sometimes but if I turn on the head lights the flickering goes away. This happens at any engine rpm too. At night you can see this happen with the dome light on or the head lights shining on something. finally got really pissed at this and opened the hood and felt for a bad connection round the alternator. Found nothing but.. No more flickering dash battery light or the dome or head lights. I must have found a bad connection and fixed it. Plan is to remove all push pull connections at alternator and apply die electrical grease for better contact print. I know our engines create some ruff vibration and that will ruin a good electrical contact over time.

 

[no mufflers]

sorry I'm a little late, was way too busy yesterday. at idle or 700 RPM I have 14.15 volts with one fan on and its pretty steady. if I rev it up it stays about the same. I wasn't able to check the volts last night and that was when the gauge was acting up. I will put some grease on the connectors on the alternator and see if that helps. I am going to keep a volt meter in the truck so I can check the volts when the gauge acts up again. last night when I was having this problem the interior lights were rapidly flickering following the volt gauge and it would have random spikes in voltage.

 

[DaveBen]

I bought a volt gauge that is digital and plugs into the cigar lighter and you can monitor it as you drive. Do a search for plug in volt meter on eBay or Amazon and you will find many and cheap.

Dave