Vehicle Is Not Charging: How Do We KNOW It Is The Alternator?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- In this video I show you my process I use to make the call on an alternator that I suspect is faulty. How do I know 100% for sure? Simple, TEST DON'T Guess! -Enjoy!
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Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. South Main Auto Repair assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. South Main Auto Repair recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained
*uScope Master Kit (AES# uMaster) : www.aeswave.com/cart.php?m=affiliate_go&affiliateID=2525b91fc8e906e8215984074c9d9e8f&go=www.aeswave.com/uScope-Master-Kit-1-channel-automotive-scope-p9273.html
Adjustable Insulation Piercing Test Clip with B-plug Inputs (AES# PE-10) : www.aeswave.com/cart.php?m=affiliate_go&affiliateID=2525b91fc8e906e8215984074c9d9e8f&go=www.aeswave.com/Adjustable-Insulation-Piercing-Test-Clip-with-B-plug-Inputs-p8507.html
The link to the scope does not work, it just points to the official home page
In the first link, change the 2nd "http" to "https" (after "go=").
grab the link from the item search. since the link points to your cart it wont allow us to see the item you are pointing to
what do you think about Autel scope versus UScope ??
What an engineering disaster!!! Four hours, breaking down the AC to change the alternator on a 06 foreign junker?!? I can change the alternator on any GM in an hour with my eyes closed, and they last long! My 2000 grand Prix has the factory original alternator..
I admire the way this man explains stuff. Simple, to the point, no smoke, no mirrors. Fully compatible with the way I tend to learn the best. Thanks Eric!
You were dying to do that sonata joke weren't you
Waiting all year.
It got a chuckle out of me.
Eric would be getting an upvote anyway, but not normally after just few seconds :-)
I laughed.
Actually, if you decided to change careers go into stand up comedy and call yourself Shecky "O"
Anybody can learn how fix cars/trucks ect If your instructor is Eric O. I've gotten much better as a diyer since I've been watching his videos. I don't mind at all buying parts as long I can install them with a good out come. How many people will take time from their day to make a video to help others? Thank you
I appreciate the process he goes through and shiws. Every other video people make is then doing edited takes of them just zapping bolts off and making it look easy. Eric shows in real time what happens and its very refreshing to see.
Having repaired a lot of alternators over the years. Having been out of it for about 20 years now, this is a new type controlled from the ECU. like the old external regulator types. Well now I am back at it here in Canada fixing alternators. No real money in it but it helps people out. If I get a good one I will make a video about it. I used to do magnetos, Dynamos and starters as well. Still got some of the gear and the books. I had a good one this weekend which would have made a good video. A Delco Remy with a new rotating field. It would not fire up, turned out to be not enough residual magnetism in the new field. I had to bring the wires to the sliprings out to magnetize it externally. Then away she went. All parts tested ok. Most alternators have 1 of a few, very common problems, Brushes worn or sticking, regulator died and bad front bearing. Diodes rarely fail, windings rarely fail. Another common fault is broken cases. Starters is nearly always bushes and brushes. But no money in that business anymore unless you do specialist work like boats and plant or vintage cars and racing cars. Domestic cars, no hope you will starve. Allister
"it-sonata-charging" -- nice.
That was actually funny
Man I hope the people in your community appreciate how great of a local mechanic they have
I nominate Eric " The SuperGenuis" for Mechanic of the Year!
I bet my teacher to show these during class. So much knowledge & real world experience.
Did your teacher ablige and show them or you still trying to get the teacher to show them?
Hi There I used to run and auto electrical company and yes you are mostly correct and a very good video on diagnosing an bad alternator. I have also designed many alternator installations for marine engines and it is not simple. I will not labour the details. but when checking volt drop you have to measure the current as well. My standard used to be no more than 0.5V for a 12V system. 250mV at full load I would say is right on the limit, two wires usually, 250mV each side. I don't think there was a fault but the manufacturer is using too small gauge wire. I used to get this all the time on marine installations. The IGN input on most modern alternators is the battery sense. So they are using it to control voltage. My standard was 13.8V minimum on the battery with full output from the alternator. Many systems these days go higher. 14 and 14.4V I see often. The higher the voltage the greater can be the electrolyte loss. Be careful with the ground connection when checking for volt drop because the ground line on the battery only carries the current to charge the battery not the whole system current. When dealing with current networks it can be confusing where all the current is going particularly on boats with steel hulls. So measure the current in the wire as well as the volt drop. That is why you had such a low figure for the ground as opposed to the alternator output. The alternator output was distributing from the battery post hence full current flow to that point. I was on a Vacuum truck on Friday 14 DEC with a new installation. This truck had a ground isolator and the idiots grounded the new equipment directly to the battery through a 16AWG wire. the Ground switch had bad connections so the truck ground went through this 16G wire. The guy complained that since the new burner was fitted his truck would not start properly and smoke was pouring out of the new equipment, The new equipment only draws 20A and the 16g wire was too small for even that. So it had a false ground, no problem if the isolator worked but when it failed all the truck current went through this little 16g wire, hence the dreaded smoke came out of the wires. Luckily I was there, usually I am not on site now, so I demonstrated how to fault find this problem. I had 12V all over the ground connections so no ground but finding it was fun. Bad connections on the isolator switch. This was in PEI Canada and we have plenty of salt here. Good luck and brilliant videos I love them. Keep up the good work, very instructional and I have learned a lot about finding faults using a code reader.
Yours Mr. A. K. Denyer B. Eng. Hons. elec P.Eng. MIET
Eric, I really enjoy this type of video. It includes a quick and simple “how the system works”, and then an actual demo of how to use that knowledge to do an accurate diagnosis. While this particular video did not include the “wrenching nuts and bolts to swap the alternator” portion, I still found it very valuable.
Brushes wear out on alternators; something has to transfer voltage to the rotor and something needs to wear so it's either the copper on the slip rings or the brushes. So if the vehicle has done a lot of miles it might need new brushes. Pull an alternator off a scrap yard, swap it for the bad alternator, then rebuild the old alternator, then you have spare.
Btw loved your little scope for the pcm!
Really interesting video. You are teaching a 45 year back yard mechanic a lot of stuff. Thanks for your extra time spent.
fyi if you ever have electrical issues, start checking grounds. then wires. i keep after my junk so i know it's state most of the time. keep them terminals clean :)
Starting your pod casts with the wiring drawing helps tremendously. GOOD JOB!
One thing I would add would be to inspect the drive belt and tensioner not questioning the master I just have been burned on that before. Love your videos as always!!!
I remember when I got my 2013 kia, I tested the battery and voltage with car running. I never could understand how you can have less than 13v output and a good alternator. Apparently on newer cars it does this to reduce engine load and better fuel economy. My local alternator rebuilder told me the same thing.
A thorough test to prove the part is bad! Great Video! You did a video one time on a vehicle that took 3 replacement tries to get one that handled the accessory load AND send power to the battery for battery charge. I remember the alt output was not enough to handle the accessories AND the battery. I think when you throttled up it almost handled all loads.
Thanks Eric, this video makes me want to go out and play with my U-scope.Try a 2004 KIA Optima V6 2.7. Ball joint, tie rod , cv axle, motor mount, jack the engine up and it was still a press fit. I have the factory manuals on the car and a 4 cyl is no problem, step by step instructions. When it came to the V6 all it said was remove wheel , splash guard, and "other components", so basically it told me "good luck"
You can remove and replace the alternator on the 2.7 from the top without tearing into the suspension. It is a lot easier.
You do realize its located at rear bottom of the engine on that car.. Why would both the KIA and Haynes manuals say to start with removing the wheel and fender splash guards if it could be gotten from the top? It doesn’t look like enough room to get it out even if you strip the front of the engine but I’ll take a another look at it.
Au contraire, Mon AMI, I have learned a lot from this video, and I am an aircraft electronics technician, and many of these tests are applicable to most vehicles. Always a pleasure.
Very well covered Not just parts swapping, a very thoughtful consideration of what charges the battery under load conditions, as in rear defroster blower motor on high and headlights all needed for typical winter driving! Stay healthy this winter!
Damn, we're living in the future. Eric instructs the camera to 'enhance' and the camera zooms in!
A few years ago I had a Chevy Express 3500 van with the 5.7 L. The alternator wasn't charging but when I brought it in to Advance Auto Parts it tested as good so I didn't buy another one. It turned out the field circuit controlled by the ECM had failed. I got it to work by wiring the field circuit old school by running a wire from the fuse box to the field terminal and wired a light bulb in series to serve as the "battery light" and also serves as a resistor. Much cheaper than replacing the ECM and everything else on the truck worked fine otherwise.
Hey Eric, thanks for taking time before going home to do this for us. I gotta say I’ve learned more from you, Ivan, Keith, Danner and other TH-camrs (Mario too!) than what they’ve taught me at the shop I work at!
Eric, I needed this video like last week. You wouldn't believe the crap I had to go through with my 2000 Caravan Sport. Although there's no way to test the alternator on vehicle (back of engine, underneath windshield cowl, and intake manifold). Removed and reinstalled twice, 2 auto part stores tested alternator to be good when in fact it wasn't. I ended up buying a new one and hoped for the best. So far it's been 5 days and no problems. But great detailed video!
I love when you have time to draw what's going on and it's nice and quiet it helps explain alot. I love the vids keep it up!
I havent done this in 30 years.awesome refresher course.thanks
Goooooood morning from Burlington, Ontario. Always enjoy the content Eric, Have a good day!😉😎
Scotty on the whiteboard brings me a smile every single time.
Thank you for taking the time to show us that. I thought just attaching the ohm meter to the cold battery. Then doing it when the car was running was enough. Because as you showed it should be in the nominal range of 12 volts. 12 up to 14. The wire between them could be bad. That little part is cheap to fix if it was. Great job.
Good explanation! I had a case with my grandfathers Honda Odyssey, the battery would randomly die, was getting to the point where it needed jumped every day, then it suddenly went away and it occasional, every test it was tested good same with the battery, well he got a new Alternator I put it on, what a job it was... And all seemed fine and it started to do it again, out of the blue, Tested it everything was fine, change the battery anyway, still occasionally did it. I tore the entire front end of that van apart and I found that inside of the sleeve for the hot wire that goes to the alternator was not crimped down from factory enough, this probably had been going for 8 months lol, So glad its fixed, tired of jumping it, and tired of seeing it lol.
I enjoy the diagnostic videos. You explain things very well for the simple minded like my self. lol
Its so sad that a 3.3 litre engine is "The Big 3.3" now a days. "The ole classic reach around" - Keep the grade school humor coming!
I appreciate your explanation of the electrical side of this problem. Always instructive. Thank you.
I like the way every video is like a shop class. Very well explained
Going over the gold mine of knowledge. Excellent stuff 👊🏻
I replaced an alternator a few years back, I had a schematic for a 1999 edition of my 2000 minivan which showed an old style alternator with no ECM command wire, and it wasn't putting anything out. When it still didn't work after replacement, I dug around more and found the schematic for the 2000 version, which is apparently when they added the command wire. The wire had been nicked at some point and green crusties broke it. Soldered that wire back together and it was working. $180 lesson.
Mmm, so glad I heard the compressor turn on, it's my favorite part of the videos.
I have diagnosed a couple of bad alternators by placing a screwdriver at the rear of it near the bearing area while engine was running. One can feel the magnetic pull of a working alternator as opposed to no sensation of magnetism in a bad alternator. Electrical devices generate magnetism, alternators do this very well.
Same problem on my Dad's Hyundai Tucson - now I know where to start. Thanks Eric!! :)
"and it'Sonata charging..." Well done, Eric.
Great video. Every test done and leaves nothing to guess work. 👍
If I gotta choose between Scotty and SMA, I choose SMA every time. SMA actually fixes on camera, Scotty don't so much. Plus how does Scotty find a tool in that garage / yard of his. Subed to both.
I learn something in every video. Thank you Eric. This old dog is learning new tricks. Is that alternator rebuildable? Most are if armature is good...most time regulator and brushes go up in cars that I have worked on. Hmm...14 volts with load...ship it. Caught this one in another SMA binge watch, wow you have a lot of videos..lol Thanks again for sharing your time and knowledge.
Thanks for staying late to explain it for everyone Eric!!!
I love the videos! I have two requests: please do a video on all of the scan tools you have purchased and explain likes/dislikes about each. My second request is could you please go over how flat rate works, i.e. does changing a water pump include time to drain/refill the coolant system?
A quick old time check is put a wrench on the rear bearing if it sticks it's likely to be charging. Something else to check is the charge lite is the field if the bulb is out it will not charge
i had a jeep that would not charge if the bulb was out. replaced bulb and wired a ballast resistor in parallel so if the bulb went again it still thinks the bulb is good and keeps on chargin. i was not about to get into that jeep wiring mess in the dash over a charging light bulb.
Awesome video I’m glad I watched it before I spend 2K on my dual alternators on my 6.0 .I want to make sure it’s the alternators !
سلام مهندس واستاد محترم شما برلیان وبا شکوه هستین. لطفا ویدیو های بیشتر همراه با نقشه واتصالات نکته به نکته اجرا نماییدممنون 👍....
As many tips you gave us, I would like to give you one back. There is an updated valve cover gasket if you do find one leaking on an alternator on these 3.3 and 3.8
Great video as usual. Most of us can test the alternator. Not the part with the scope though. Too expensive for the backyard mechanic. Thanks for making this video
Very thorough! I'm getting rid of my cardboard sign. Going into business fixing alternators.
Fantastic explanation.. NOTE: voltage drop testing should be done on loaded circuits.
I hope Mrs.O doesn’t see this video with you wiping the white board with your sweatshirt 😂 Great video Eric.
The Hyundai so-nota-good car strikes again! I’m gonna yank your chain and mention you forgot one easy step before you do anything. Visual inspection of things. What if the vehicle had a belt blow up or noticeable corrosion? You’re slipping 😜 good video!
I have a masters degree from the Foolish Guessing University. This was great info. Thanks for sharing!
Ever thought of building a compressor shed to cut down on the noise? (assuming you have the room) Great video as always.
that u scope is so cool I like it rev up your duty cycle as the man scotty would say!
You mentioned that the battery warning light didn't come on until after the car died. I've noticed this happens a lot. The alternator fails but the warning light stays off. There has to be some design flaw in a lot of cars that allows this to happen. Anytime the alternator stops charging the battery the warning light should come on. But they often don't.
My Daughter has a KIA Sorento that is on its forth alternator since she bought the car used only a few months ago. The first time around the battery was totally tits up, and somehow the 50amp fuse was also blown, but my daughter had her boyfriend do some of the work and... well we can only guess what part of that was induced. Once the boyfriend was willing to admit defeat, I had a mechanic fix the car. The car lasted only a few hundred miles and the alternator went out again. (No charge), We found a "reputable" shop (in Texas) to look at it the second time. Since then he just keeps replacing the alternator (luckily for us he warrantied the first change...). I was thinking some sort of a ground between the alternator and battery that blows the alternator, but then watching this video it struck me that maybe the ECM is not cycling the charge and holding the alternator in full charge mode... beyond duty cycle?? The alternators last between a few hundred miles to a few thousand. This last change out the mechanic put an OEM Alternator in the car. He says they have looked at all the wiring but when I drilled him he admitted that an intermittent short could be the issue but made it sound like he was not interested in actually working that angle as he is certain the OEM Alternator will fix it. Seems pretty lame to me. I am flying down to my daughters to look at the car myself (I'm an Aircraft Mechanic so I am comfortable with cars). Any suggestions?
Can you use a scan tool to measure the charge voltage also ?
Can you help w/ a link for the small scope??
Great channel.
68 milliamps...errr 68 milivolts. LOL. Nic Video Eric. Love the voltage drop video's.
I love your pocket uScope :)
Again, super overview and great details as to what is going on. Thank you for sharing.
Great video! Liked the drawing board and visualizing the plan and theory before testing
Is there any way to check the computer wire with just a multimeter? Also these videos have helped this want to be mechanic learn a ton about diagnostics more than school.
Hey brother, don't sell yourself short. Outstanding video! SK needs to look very close over his shoulder. Well, you could crawl out of a car trunk, or ... I subbed after recently watching your excellent RV brake video. Thanks much & please keep on
So, not a bad video - actually a very good one!
Great job. I always learn something from your videos. Thanks.
This video was brilliant Dr. O
Any way you could do a similar sub series on suspension noises? I’ve been getting quite good with electrical and other types of diagnosis, but I still really struggle with suspension noisss
Informative, thank you! I am a teacher and can say great job teaching!
could have used this when the auto parts store said my alternator off the car tested good when it was bad. I'm trusting the tester's at the auto part places even less now, this is at least the second time they have told me a alternator was good when it was bad.
Hey Eric great as always I would have loved to see some current measurements, maybe next time.
I love these elaborate dry erase board football play drawings..great call Coach O :-) I guess Scotty K was the back up plan with the chainsaw ? extra point team SMA! lol. Great vid as always Sir :-)
So a voltage drop test is just checking voltage from battery to whatever component is being supplied said battery voltage?
This vidjayo is chock full of useful info! Thanks so much! I like the tests that I can do at home without a 10,000 dollar tool.
The FOX racing shirt!!! WOOHOO!!
Another great vid!! TY Question...If there were no pwm from the computer and you strongly believe the computer is bad how do you test the alternator on the car (I have this situation currently and the alternator is a pain to R&R) I would rather tell the client that the alternator and ECM are bad up front if that's the case. BTW I have confirmed a bad ECM starter circuit also.
Thank you, Joe
Lacking a "U meter", could a home mechanic use the duty cycle measuring function common on many DMMs to verify the ECM is properly signalling the alternator?
lol, and here my alternator is failing the other way, by commanding 15+ volts at all times regardless of load. The CM is dying, but since my battery is not overheating yet, and since its already in the negative temperatures here, I think I can squeek out a winter with it, unless it starts blowing fuses or cooks my blower motor resistors.
Good repair Eric O
you stated that the wire connecting the alternator and the battery is doing the voltage drop, why did you change the alternator? should you change the wire first?
Hello Eric. The scope test you did before the alternator replacement showed a constant wave form. Now it shows a on and off waveform. Is this a trigger to replace the alternator as is is not responding to the ECM command also the waveform fills in then you put a load on it? Thank You for everything!
It is just the way the ECM controls the alt.
At what store is that small scope available ? And exactly what does it call ? Thanks for the video...
On an older car without an automatic belt tensioner, don't forget to tighten the alternator belt. My 1996 Nissan would not charge even though the alternator tested OK out of the vehicle. The v-belt needed to be tighter than I thought it should be.
if that were the issue, the belt would have been screeching/howling/smoking by the time the alternator got under full load
High input alternator can keep doting the car/truck at low rpms!?
20:18 I'd say a good percentage of customers end up eating the cost. Depends on the shop
"It's Sonata charging anymore!" LMAO!!!
I had a situation last year. Car lights and radio worked but wouldn't crank. Got out my 5$ Hf meter and voltage was 16 volts. Got my 30$ craftsman meter. Still 16 volts
both with engine running or not. After a period of panic and confusion I determined the 9v battery in both meters was good enough to turn on the meters but not good enough to make them read correctly.
Lesson: test your meter first. On high power, high voltage circuits, that can save a life.
Eric's channeling his inner Jason Fenske.
Dr o making it easy again
I like your diag procedure. No stones unturned. However, in a lot of cases, a hammer will tell if the alternator is bad. If one hits the case once or twice and it all of a sudden starts charging, it's a pretty definite indicator of worn or stuck brushes. Also, if an alternator is charging but it's blazing hot, doesn't charge under load and it just sounds wrong, it probably has a shorted rectifier (Chrysler *cough*).
Huh, that little AES uScope is just a SeedStudio DSO Nano V2 bundled with a capacitive probe and some simplified custom firmware.
Thanks for the detailed explanation.
That's the first Duracell car battery I've ever seen. Interesting!
Thanks for teaching me some new methods!
Electrical problem...I would have wagered $50 it was a Chrysler. Alas, the Mopar guys can't have all the electrical issues
Think Chrysler is bad, try Lucas out of England. The old joke was: Know why the British always drink warm beer? They all own Lucas refrigerators.
Technically it is
DODGE = Chrysler = Mitsubishi = Hyundai .
The Chain Of Copying , To Make Vehicles In Up And Coming Countries .
Tks for the video. I have a 2009 Mercury Marquis LE. While driving the dash would go dark, the radio would quit the headlights would go out but the car still drove fine but scared the shit out of my Mom @ night when she went to work. The problem would only last a few moments and I could hear something going thru a reset mode and then everything would come back to life. What do you think it was? The TUFFY shop in Clermont, Fl. are as thorough and honest as you seem to be. It took some diagnostic work but they found the problem. Even though you can't diagnose the problem yourself, what do you think was wrong? Hint! I only thought of asking this question after viewing this episode.
Hi, Don't know if you answer questions here? But was wondering, how would you go about finding where wind noise is coming in at on a 2014 Nissan Versa Note or any car? Weatherstrips all look good. I know it's the passenger side but can't really pinpoint it while driving.
This video came at a perfect time...
My 2007 suburban with 5.3 v8 had the battery light come on last night and message of "service battery charging system". It ended up going off when I gave it the beans and was fine for about 20 minutes. Came back on intermittent. Was able to finish driving and drive home without it dying, no lights dimming, etc.
Checked battery at home and it's 12.06v. Battery was bought October 2017.
Im thinking alternator.... ?
100% alternator.
Could you do a video on explain how to use a amp clamp On testing alternators at batteries confused on the direction of amp clamp on battery cable don’t quite fully understand that principal