Alternator/Charging question

**v8unleashed** · 01-20-2012, 06:30 AM

Couple days ago, my alternator goes out (2000 WS6), and I replaced it. During the process, I snapped the exciter cable as I hear is common, so I spliced the cable. Car has been running great.

Today, as I'm pulling into work, I notice the gauge shows shows it's charging at 11v -- which is in the "low" yellow area of the gauge. Turned the car on and off a few times while fiddling with things, and at one point it went back to 13v, but soon thereafter went back to 11 -- like it doesn't NEED to be charging.

Is this normal? I thought it was supposed to maintain at 13.9-14.4 or so? Maybe I didn't fix the exciter plug as well as I thought I did? Thanks!

**KMdef9** · 01-20-2012, 07:30 AM

I would double check all your connections. Make sure their clean and solid.

Secondly, you probably bought an aftermarket alternator, which are typically crap. If all your connections are good, you might have a bad voltage regulator/bad alternator. Can you take it to a place to get tested?

**Smittro** · 01-20-2012, 08:41 AM

Have your battery load tested, and as Kevin states have the ALT. tested while you're @ it..

**v8unleashed** · 01-20-2012, 08:42 AM

The battery is 3 months old. The alternator is brand new. For purposes of this discussion, I am going to assume they work fine. Is this something that a bad connection in the exciter cable could cause, where it's charging normally then charging low?

**Smittro** · 01-20-2012, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by v8unleashed

The battery is 3 months old. The alternator is brand new. For purposes of this discussion, I am going to assume they work fine. Is this something that a bad connection in the exciter cable could cause?

Does'nt matter if they are new, remanned alt's and cheap batteries can go bad the same day they are installed.

Seperately,, the exciter wire is very small guage and could be bad in another place also check the connector..

**v8unleashed** · 01-20-2012, 08:53 AM

It's a NEW, new alternator.

**Smittro** · 01-20-2012, 09:01 AM

You do understand that alt's for these cars have been out of production for years right?

The odds of it not being a remanned unit are very slim at best..

Where was the alt purchased from?

**Mr_Rich** · 01-20-2012, 09:59 AM

Correction on one of your descriptions; DIS-charging at 11V. Voltage is leaving the system. Not going in to it... Better put a meter on your battery to check the actual charge.

**v8unleashed** · 01-20-2012, 10:52 AM

The battery appears to be 11v too when the car is running.

**v8unleashed** · 01-20-2012, 12:18 PM

Just figured out the PS pump is leaking. Seems to be a common cause of alternators going out. Maybe that's what did in the old one but I doubt it could cause the new one to stop working in only 24 hours, could it? Nevertheless, it seems I will be ripping into that one tomorrow.

**SMWS6TA** · 01-20-2012, 01:52 PM

Sorry op, I just dropped in this for the first time. Yes the PS pump is the number 1 cause of alternator issues. It depends on how much fluid was dropping from the pump but yes it can kill an alternator in 24 hrs. ASK ME HOW I KNOW

If you look in the stickies there is a thread that may be able to help you dealing with this issue.

Most likely cause is the o rings on the high pressure hose going out. cost under a buck, but that's not including the replacing of the alternator.

If you are going to work on the PS pump remove the alternator first do the PS pump job then clean up and then install the alternator.

Any questions drop me a line. I wrote the sticky on this issue.