civic-chick

call me stupid....how do you "check" your alternator...any tests to be sure that that is what is giving me problems?

Whiplash

multi-meter Jess..
have the voltage checked and the amperage that it's putting out..

voltage should be between 12 and 15volts, not sure about the amperage tho..
i have the Haynes manual for your car, i'll pass it on to you next time i see ya..

Mo is local right??
if it turns out that the alternator is gone (which it's appearing to be) see what he can hook ya up with and i'll source out what i can if ya like..

and no, yer not stoopid

imported_05CivicSi

yeah i think it's called a AVR (alternator voltage ...) test.ill try and find the bill from mine

mine went a while back...$400 to replace with a bosch with a 5 year waranty

btw what car is you interior from?? saw it at cayuga today

imported_05CivicSi

found my bill...

alternator votlage resistance (avr)

cost $30 at canadian tire

punkindrublic

if you take the alternator out and spin the wheel and it makes any noise its probably gone.... it should be really smooth with no sound... or very little.... if you can get your car running again the best thing to do would be to check how much voltage its putting out like marty said... but if not just take it out and even at the dealership they should have a thing to test them

Whiplash

got this off the net Jess..
looks easy enuf and i don't see it doing any harm..

Easy Car Alternator Failure Test.

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1: First loosen either the positive connector or the negative connector terminals of the car battery. Either means only one! Make sure you are not touching any parts of the car while doing this to avoid electrical shock! If you are removing positive don''t touch negative and same for the other way around.

2: Then make sure all electrical equipment is turned off to avoid overload and electrical feedback that would cause your car electrical items to fail.

3: Start the car engine. Make sure you are NOT touching any part of the car to avoid electrical shock! Use an insulated (rubberized grip) pliers to disconnect the connectors form the battery terminals. Don''t worry about some little sparking, it's safer than full blown fireworks!

4: If the engine is running the Alternator is ok. If the engine stops, the alternator is damaged.

basically you're making the car run off of the alternator by eliminating the battery's ability to sustain the ignition etc..

civic-chick

92civ-GSR leathers...and thanks...I ove my car...even when its not running :-(

Marty: Thanks for the info...dad suggested we try that as well...because like it says if the car will still run while the battery is disconnected then theres nothing wrong with the alternator....
but i still think thats the problem...

imported_JookSingKid

take the alternator and bring it to canadian tire, they will test it for you for free

and if you need a new one, they will give you a credit if you trade in your old alternator

imported_05CivicSi

dont take it out unless you really want to, it can be checked in the car...it aint all that easy to get out...so imo $30 aint bad

one way to tell if the bearing is shot is to place a metal rod on the alternator casing, not anything electrical and put your ear to the end of the rod and you can hear the bearing....just dont hit the belts or anything electrical...


off topic again... were you rear seats just recovered to match?

civic-chick

no they are actually seats out of a GSR

bbarbulo

iTrader: (2)

ok, there is a test performed using an oscilloscope... there is more to alternators these days than just charging. Sears I think has a oscilloscope to check the charging system, and it can be done on the car, but it costs $$. I once bought a Bosch 5 yr warranty alternator... for my old Saturn SL2, not my current SW2... REAL nice peice, original casting, nice job remanufacturing... cost me $245.

civic-chick

thanks for all the input guys...got a second opinion and it was NOT the alternator so thank god i didnt buy one...it was the ground wire going to the head, was corroded and needed replacing, my amazing mechanic friend did it for free...
Problem solved and my baby is back on the road see you friday night....

PS any interested buyers ill be at the meet friday night
(I think)