Table of Contents
Look for a diagram under or near your fuse box cover. It will have individual amperage numbers (sometimes along with volts) already set by the manufacturer. Add up those numbers to find what amperage your alternator needs to feed the car’s electrical system. Verify this number with the part manufacturer, if necessary.
How can I tell which alternator I have?
Look for the number on the alternator. If you can’t see the entire number, remove the adjustable bracket with a wrench. Take off the alternator and find the part number on it. Once you have the number, you have the identification of your alternator.
How do I know what amperage my alternator is?
Start the vehicle and hold the engine at around 1,500 rpm. With the engine held, the carbon pile can simulate an electrical load. Alternator output should increase, and the ammeter reading should register close to the alternator amp rating.
What happens if you put the wrong alternator in your car?
It is used to recharge the battery after starting the engine and to power the vehicles electrical devices while the vehicle is in operation. Q) What happens if the alternator is bad? A) A bad alternator will result in a discharged (dead) battery and cause a vehicle to not start or run.
Where is serial number on alternator?
Where to find the part number depends on the make and model of the Alternator. On most if not all Alernators the part number and Amps are found on a label on the side or end of the Alernator.
Is it OK to use a higher amp alternator?
A higher amperage alternator will not pose any problems to the vehicle’s electrical system. For example, you may have a 100 amp alternator in your vehicle and the turn signals have small wiring and will only use 10 amp of power. Upgrading to a 200 amp alternator will not affect these components.
How many amps does a 12v alternator put out?
The power that can be produced by an alternator is determined by the alternator rating. The output of the alternator ranges from 40 Amp up to 120 Amp. For high-amp alternator, it can generate up to 300 Amp. Commercialized alternator is usually 12 V.
Is 15 volts too high for alternator?
Higher than 15 volts indicates a fault in the charging system’s voltage regulator or related circuits. If it’s substantially excessive, this can cause electrical system and/or battery damage. You mentioned your voltmeter runs at about 15 volts most of the time.
How can you tell if its the battery or alternator?
If your engine won’t turn over or takes far longer than usual, it’s time to grab the jumper cables and attempt a jump-start. If your engine starts and stays running but won’t start again later, it’s likely a battery problem. If your vehicle immediately stalls, it’s probably a bad alternator.
What tells the alternator to charge?
When voltage drops below 13.5 volts, the regulator will apply current to the field and the alternator will start charging. When the voltage exceeds 14.5 volts, the regulator will stop supplying voltage to the field and the alternator will stop charging. This is how voltage output from the alternator is regulated.
Is my alternator a smart alternator?
If your readings are around 14.4V DC, then you most likely have the traditional, non-smart alternator. If your reading is closer to 12.5-13.5V DC, or you know you have regenerative breaking, then it’s likely that you have a smart alternator, and will need an Orion or Sterling DC/DC charger alternator charger kit.
What do the numbers on an alternator mean?
The first is the alternator output rating, which is the amount of current that a unit is capable of producing at a specific rotational speed. For instance, a 100A alternator has a “rated” output of 100A, which means that it is capable of providing 100A when the alternator shaft is rotating at 6,000 RPM.
Can I put any alternator in my car?
In most cases nothing except it would work fine. If the two alternators are physically the same and wired the same it’s just a one for one swap. But make sure both alternators use the same gauge output wire in case one alternator has a higher amperage output.
Is A 160 amp alternator good?
The high amp alternator will give you more replacement juice if you are running any high amp load appliances. The 160 amp is known to be used on emergency vehicles that are at a standstill and still running lots of 12v power thru said appliances.
Do I need A bigger alternator?
There are a few ways to figure out whether you need to upgrade your alternator. A few telltale signs are dim headlights, poor stereo system performance, or an alternator that simply wears out quickly. You can also check your electrical load using an ammeter.
How big of an alternator do I need for 3000 watts?
3000 watt / 12V is equal to 250A. A 250A alternator is needed to keep up with it. Since your engine would have to work just as hard as any portable 3KW generator to keep up with the amplifier, you would need a large fuel tank.
Is 14.7 volts too high?
Charging voltages over 14.7 volts can prematurely dry the battery by boiling out electrolyte, and increase risk of a battery hydrogen gas explosion. 14.8 would start to be a worry (there might be liquid or corrosion on the battery) and 15 volts would be a real concern, but 14.6 is fine.
Is 14.1 volts good for car battery?
If the voltmeter reads between 14-15 volts then the battery is normal. But if the battery reads over 15 volts or less than 13 volts, then there might be a problem with the voltage regulator, the wiring or the alternator.
