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Alternator or just the battery?
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Folkgirl
New User
Mar 15, 2007, 8:18 PM
Post #1 of 2
(1397 views)
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Alternator or just the battery?
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I apologize for what might be a simple question, but I know nothing about cars  . We were driving along in my 2002 Ford Exploer when first my wipers slowed way down and then the ABS and battery lights came on. About 10 seconds later, all the gauges and lights went out and the truck slowed down to a sputter. We limped to the side of the road and were hit with a nasty smell - fried battery? We put it back in drive and managed to get to a store about a half mile away. I kept it running while my husband ran in and bought a new battery. The thing kept running, albiet poorly, until he took off the battery cable and fired right up like new as soon as the new battery was in.
Without diagnostic tools, how does one know if this was just a simple fix or if the alternator is the real cause? Wait for it to die again? 
Thanks for any help you can give us!
Folkgirl
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steve01832
Veteran
Mar 16, 2007, 3:17 AM
Post #2 of 2
(1391 views)
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Re: Alternator or just the battery?
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Get a cheapy multimeter and set it to the 20 volt dc scale. Put the red lead on the battery positive post and the black lead on the negative battery post. The meter should read around 12.6 volts. Start the engine, now the meter should show between 14.1 - 14.8 volts. If the meter shows a lot higher voltage the alternator is overcharging and will cook the new battery. If the meter shows a voltage less than 13 volts the alternator is undercharging and the charging system needs to get checked out at that point. Also, make sure the battery is fully charged prior to doing this test to ensure the test results will be accurate.
Steve
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