EMERGENCY ALTERNATOR FAILURE!!!!!!!!!

[imported_admin]

Our brave and heroic Steve (TealV6) is having a near-breakdown at this very moment on the Ohio Turnpike on his way to AIS... he is driving his 94 3.4 Camaro with a high-output alternator, followed by Ryan (Batman) in his 2000 Firebird...

Steve's battery voltage is dropping to 11 volts when driving but rises to the normal level of 14 volts when idling. As of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time the car is still running and they are pushing on but at any time it might fail completely.

What would cause an alternator to produce LESS voltage when the engine is in cruise control at 2000-ish rpm than when it's at idle??? Shouldn't it be the other way around if it's going bad?

Has anyone seen this before? Please reply immediately if you do, in a matter of hours they will be entering the PA mountains and if he breaks down on the PA Turnpike he'll be in a heck of a jam. :(

Everyone else who has no idea what I'm talking about, cross your fingers and hope he makes it okay!

[jrcamaro96]

Hope they make it alright cause weather is getting bad here exits Harrisburg and up to where I am Lanc./ Leb. exit. I called a friend of mine that knows allot about that stuff and left a message for him so if I hear anything I'll post ASAP.

JR

[Dominic]

Its most likely a sensor failure - unless he is noticing things like fanspeed and lights dropping and dimming there is no need to worry - push on!

[P-nut-]

A slipping belt would make sense to me. Catches at low rpm's, but not enough at >idle. Engine uses more charge... voltage drops. A battery only holds and produces 12 volts by itself, anything above that is the alternator. So if it doesn't catch to produce a charge, the rest is left up to the battery at 12v.

[Dojo2000]

i agree with the slipping belt, that's the first thing that popped in my head when i read the post. i don't know too much about the belt(s?) on the 3.4 so i can't give much more help. since its a 3.4 does he have underdrive pulleys? try tightening the belt tentioner(?), the spring may have loosened over time. but that high-output alt may just be source of the problem. i've heard of people having trouble with so-called "high-output" alternators. if thats it, he might just be SOL. :( Hope some of this helps.

[img]graemlins/burnout.gif[/img]

[RiceyRS]

Assuming his alternator has an internal voltage regulator, it sound like he has a damaged negative connection between the rectifier and the regulator. That would account for the voltage being lower at high speeds and higher at low speeds. I'd say replace the alternator, if the any part of the connection is damaged the heat will only further damage it, and eventually lose all voltage.

But then again it may just be the belt.

[zccop2001]

replace it? maybe that would be an option if there was a local napa on the OH or PA turnpike ...

:rolleyes: fingers crossed