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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.
How can I tell the amperage of my alternator?
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.
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 car alternator charge at?
A: Charging time depends on the battery and the charger. For a battery being charged by the car’s alternator it can take an hour of driving to get it fully charged. Car batteries range from 40AH to 110AH, and alternators range from 45 amps to 200 amps.
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.
How many volts should my alternator put out?
A good alternator should maintain battery voltage between 13.9 and 14.8 volts (14.2 is optimum).
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.
How many watts can A 120 amp alternator handle?
thats an average between output surges. Thats just sort of a relative rule of thumb. The other sorta relative rule of thumb is that 10 amps can translate to somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 watts so a 120 amp alternator could do 1200 watts.
What happens if you put A lower amp alternator on my car?
You will do no harm installing a higher output unit as the amps are on demand. Now if you install a lower output unit then you will have issue with the battery not being fully charged and the alternator not supplying the required power and the car running more off the battery. This will leave you stranded.
At what RPM does an alternator start charging?
The minimum RPM is highly dependent on the specification of alternator. But a basic alternator will produce charging current anything above 2000 rpm. We can safely say, an economy car will idle around 750 rpm, a sports car around 1250 rpm and a race car around 2000 rpm.
Does an alternator charge a battery at idle?
Assuming the alternator, engine, belt, and battery are all in working order, then yes, a car battery will charge when idling. The only caveat is that it doesn’t really “charge” that fast. The belt will spin slower, rotating the shaft slower, and producing less electricity to recharge your battery.
At what rate does an alternator charge a battery?
The alternator or the battery is probably in poor condition. The alternator will charge the battery at a constant voltage (usually 13.8, or 14.2), and electively never a constant current. The amount of current that goes to the battery will steadily naturally decrease as the battery charges.
How do you check if it’s your 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.
Is 14.5 volts overcharging?
Above 14.5 volts charging voltage, batteries have a greatly increased tendency to release excessive acidic vapors, hydrogen gas, and to corrode things around the battery. 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 13.8 volts good for alternator?
With the engine running, use a voltmeter to measure voltage at the battery. At that point, if the voltage falls between 12.6 and 13.7 volts, you need to replace your alternator. If it’s greater than or equal to 13.8 volts, a voltage drop test needs to be performed.
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.
What size alternator do I need for 1000 watt amp?
As a general rule, you need about 100 amps of current for every 1000 watts of power generated.
What happens if you put the wrong alternator in your car?
A bad alternator can easily lead to a bad battery. So when the alternator is bad, the battery begins to compensate for the power the alternator should have generated, because the car battery is not designed to supply power for extended periods, it will eventually wear out causing the vehicle to stop working.
