battery or altenator??

[silverbird02]

today when i got off of work (5 am) i turned on my car and the voltage was going bananas from 10 to 16 for about 20 sec then it stayed at 9 for a good while then when i drove off it went back to normal this is the second time it does it prob like a month ago so idk wat it can be wat do yall guys think?

[nascar24jd]

Re: battery or altenator??

today when i got off of work (5 am) i turned on my car and the voltage was going bananas from 10 to 16 for about 20 sec then it stayed at 9 for a good while then when i drove off it went back to normal this is the second time it does it prob like a month ago so idk wat it can be wat do yall guys think?

Alternator...

Check the connections really well first. Make sure the battery terminals are clean and tight. Make sure all of the connections at the alternator are clean and tight. Sounds like the ALT is on its way out...

[tomham]

Re: battery or altenator??

yea id say alternator but check everything your battery shouldent make it go crazy

[cam98aro]

Re: battery or altenator??

sounds like there is a bad connection with the battery

running the car with no battery, or disconnecting the battery while running will cause voltage spikes, and a bunch of other crazy stuff (which you are experiencing)

i would check the battery connections first before doing anything, because you can easily destroy the computer with a voltage spike

[DAS BOOT]

Re: battery or altenator??

I vote bad/dirty connection somewhere, clean them all up, back of alt, and battery posts, and check condition of the cables, and some of the main grounds. if you have an multimeter check the voltage coming out of the alt.

Its possible the diodes went bad in the rectifier in the back of the alternator, thats where most alternators fail, and may cause crazy spikes. But I still vote connections.

[silverbird02]

Re: battery or altenator??

thanks for the info ill check on it just woke up hahahaha night shifts suck