donuts2001

Hey doods, I currently have a 85Amper alternator in my car, but now when I turn the lights on(I have 80/100w for the driving lights, and 55w aftermarket "fog lamps") it sits around the 10v mark when idling, even with the stereo off. What options are available for upgrading the alternator?

Oh yeah and another thing... when you put your foot on the brake it seems to drain a lot of power as well dropping it around 2 volts or so. Surely those stingey little brake lights at the back couldn't be using THAT much power could they?

Cheers

Rollin

the alternator should be able to handle that easily.

check your belts are tight - they dont always squeal when loose - make sure the terminals on your battey and the back of the alternator are tight, and also make sure there is 'bright metal' contact between the wires and terminals - take them off and sandpaper them til they are nice and shiny, then put them back on.

after that, if its still stuffed, you might need a new/reconditioned alternator.

sometimes if your power steer pump is leaking it can get into the alternator and dirt will accumulate in there and kill it too...

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94EF_Ghia

yeah i have a pretty new one myself and i have found when a sweet song come's on or something and i crank the stezza up my volts go right down to just below 12 at the bass, sometimes the temp gauge does it to.

Can this hurt/Stuff up anything? seems to loosen the belt all the time

Rmyers

HAHAHAHAHA don't get me started, I'm planning to do an entire engine swap to an AU 4 litre simply to get a better alternator than my current one.

Your volts should NOT be doing that with an 85 amp alt, it's either a bad ground somewere as Rollon suggested, or most likely, your alterantors had it. Do you still have the fan cover on underneath the car? Alot of the time these break off when parking close to gutters etc. Without one, the alternator is exposed to road grime and will kill the alternator quicker. You can take the alternator to an auto elecs to get it tested for like $5 or $10. They'll tell you the state the alternators in and whether it needs a reco (a reco will set you back around 130-150 dollars)....

As for alternator upgrades, that's a whole new ballgame. I had a thread here a while ago that pretty much outlines the bullsh!t involved when upgrading the alternator on EA-ED's...

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snavy

my lights dim also! i think my belts are lose or on the way out. My symptoms are squeaks after start, after the car has been sitting for a while, and lately ive been hearing a low rumble from the belt area, does that mean it needs tightening?

thanks

94EF_Ghia

yeah my amp does have a bad earth will have to check that out see if it fixes the prob cheers