Quote:
Originally Posted by fastd
i did measure voltage at the alternator. was getting 14ish on the BAT and it was jumping around on the FLD to mimic my cockpit gauge. it seems like it starts getting jumpy after it gets warm... that mean anything to you?
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Somewhere between the alternator which is measuring 14v, and the cockpit, which is measuring 12v, you're losing two volts.
That's the text book scenario for a "voltage drop" test. With the car running, and with a nice electric load on it, like your fan that probably pulls close to 20 amps, you "walk the charging wire" and measure for voltage along it, especially at connections, crimps, and the like, and search for the "drop." Somewhere between the alternator and your cockpit there will be some sort of resistance, like a bad wire, or a bad connection, and that added resistance will not only create heat, but will rob you of two volts in the process. If you use your VOM and "bracket" that bad connection, or partially broken wire, it will actually read two volts on the meter.