Voltage Gauge going nuts...

[Strongbad]

Well I checked the hot lead from end to end. Looks fine.

I am really starting to think that perhaps that sensor clip I spliced on there is no good.

If that sensor connection is bad, will that keep the Alt. from charging?

[Strongbad]

Now, about your alternator. I'm well aware as I said before your car "stock" came with one wire, all of ours did. It's a universal pin setup for many GM's. The other wire you CAN hook into and use however, as I said before, is the external voltage sense.

Here's my pin configuration, you can see which ones are filled. Whichever one you don't have, is the external voltage sense one (I forgot which is which):

And here's the external voltage sense wire going into the main harness run to pick up the car's PROPER voltage (instead of

Hope this helps...

I am gonna have to try this. I am gonna go to the parts store and buy a new connector clip. I had already butchered mine when I saw this. So what did you hook the external voltage sense wire to? Did you run a new hot wire or did you splice into something?

[Wes]

whats the condition of the belt?

[Strongbad]

whats the condition of the belt?

The belt seems solid. No cracks or dry rot, and it doesn't appear to be slipping or moving. I guess it couldn't hurt to replace it however. I have had the car for 10 years and I don't believe it has been changed.

Seems a straight forward job. Seems like the only thing tough would be getting the routing correct. I guess I could take alot of pics first. Does anything have to be removed to put on the belt?

[00Beast]

I believe you have to move the Torque Axis mount, but I could be wrong.

Modern belts don't crack and dry rot, due to the material they're made out of. They just get worn down and cannot grab. I highly recommend getting a Gates or Goodyear Gatorback belt. They're about the best belts you can get, and we've seemed to have issues with other belts.

[Strongbad]

So bought a new 3-wire clip, wired it up, soldered it, and then closed it in shrink tubing. Now getting 13.6 volts. The first one looked a little wonky out of the package. I guess that was the problem. I think I am going to go ahead and replace the serpentine belt anyway. Thanks for all the help guys!!!

[Strongbad]

It put my battery on the trickle charger and charged it up to 12.66. I went back out there this evening with my voltmeter, and tested it out.

With the car at idle and nothing running I got the following results.

Alt: 13.97
Bat: 13.91

Then I turned everything on (Headlights, A/C, Wipers, Dome Light), and gave the alternator time to catch up before I tested it again.

Alt: 13.16
Bat: 13.06

I started thinking maybe I didn't give it enough time to adapt to the change in volts, so I gave it a few minutes and tested again.

Alt: 13.01
Bat: 12.96

Forgive my ignorance, but shouldn't there be a drop, and then a return to 13.97?

[RJolly87]

If you are testing voltage at idle with everything on, you may be asking more than the alternator can output at that engine speed. I think the biggest concern is the accuracy of the gauge at this point. You have tested with a multimeter, and it is not giving you the same numbers the gauge is giving you. Anybody else find that odd?

[ChilinMichael]

Testing at the battery or alternator yields a little higher voltage than the gauge in car reads, don't forget electricity has to flow to the maxi-fuse and then out to many things including that.