How can I tell if my alternator is not charging my battery?
9 Answers
There are two accurate ways but both require a multimeter. I will tell you the most accurate way first -- If you own a multimeter and you can safely access the terminals usually located on the side or back of the alternator, here's what to do! First turn the car's engine on. Now turn your multimeter to the 20V setting. Locate the red (positive) terminal on the back of the alternator. If there is a plastic/rubber guard over the terminal, push it back so you can see the exposed metal on the terminal. Now place the red (positive) multimeter probe on the terminal and ground the black (negative probe) to another steel part of your car (NOT THE ALTERNATOR ITSELF) -- preferably the engine heads. You should now see a reading on your multimeter display. If not, your alternator is not working. The second way is a little bit less accurate but works just as well. Instead of placing the red probe on the alternator terminal, now, with the engine running, place the red probe on the positive terminal and the black (negative) probe on the negative terminal. If your alternator is working properly, you should now see a reading of between 13 and 14 volts. That means it is working. If you are seeing anything less than twelve, your alternator probably isn't working. If these are out of your means, a bad alternator will not charge your battery and drain the battery while the car is running. What I would recommend is idle the car for ten minutes, then turn it off, Try to start it back up and see if the starter motor cranks at the normal speed. If it sounds slow or it just makes a click like it can't crank the engine, it means your battery is not getting charged by the alternator... Or the battery is dead. Good luck!
Your car won't start, driving lights dash display/interior lights won't come on. My car played up just 2 days ago and I am still waiting for a call from Hyundai to say that they have replaced the alternator....
I have a 05 Kia Optima an I put a reman akternatir from O'Reillys an I got a new battery .Now I check to see it the alternator is charge the battery an it's not.What can it be an fuse or what
I have 2004 Hyundai Elantra .My check engine light came on and my gauges on the dash were moving back and forth rapidly..my odometer reading went out as well as the dash light went dim ..immediately after my car just died while I was driving..Can anyone tell me what this could be ?
Guru9BHJC, Its probably the alternator. That is what happened to me exactly. Basically Alternator had it. I was hearing squeaking every cold start but suddenly I don't hear it any more and that is when alternator strike, alternator was giving me warning sound (Squeaking) but I ignored it, now its gone. check battery with altimeter, if less than 13 V its the alternator.
I had a 2012 Hyundai Enantrs had the same charging problem now I got a 2014 Hyundai Elantra Limited with the same problem going to new minus for a recall and going home the next day my car wouldn't start. I was told in Yarmouth Hyundai that my car had a low output alternator to save space oh and another think I was told I didn't drive it enough lies after driving over two hundred KM next day my car wouldn't start they are filling people full of lies and bullshit they got a problem they are hiding they had my car in days that's when they told me the bad news,even told me to get a solar panel to plug in my cigaret lighter but I got one finding out that when the car is not running it's useless. I can used any accessories in my car like heated seats and I believe my battery wouldn't start my car because I had my air condition on,we are being lied to.
It's my second new Hyundai Elantra this one I got now is 2014 Elantra Limited 28,000$ plus extended warrantee but still got a real bad problem dearer can't fix my car what I do next I don't know but my next car won't say Hyundai on the front or the back my second one and most certainly my last being tired of being lied to they say it can't be fixed alterantor low output and they don't make a bigger one to save space that's what I've been told two Hyundai dearlers can't fix the problem. My last.
I don't trust any Hyundai dealer just had an estimate they want 43,850 plus my car for a 30,000 SUV would cost me 50,000$ for another was just trying them out all they care about is your money no more Hyundai cars for me or of any kind to much trouble.
