bad alternator

[9ussy]

i just bought a new battery.. and i had it checked out at autozone.. they said i had a bad alternator.. its suppose to be like 14 volts right?? b/c on that thing it said 12.2 volts or whatever... could there be something not hooked up thats causing this or what?? i just wanna make sure before spending 200 bux on this.. and will my car alarm kill my new battery?? the red light keeps blinking every few minutes.. should i just take the battery out?

98 integra...

thanks..
- al

[joshk5145]

i would think 12.2 would be normal for an idling engine. does your car have underdrive pulleys? does it kill your battery to the point that you have to get jumped off everytime u go anywhere? i wouldn't mess with it unless it did, just my opinion. but sometimes the voltage regulators go out in the alternators.

[BTEC]

WOAH!!! 12's are only normal if ur car is off. its supposed to be mid 13's to low/mid 14'2 at idle. hondas have one big and 1 thick wire at the alternator. make sure the thick wire held dwn by the 10mm nut is tight and not touching the case of the alternator. and make sure the big plug is plugged in. if all thats in tact, ur alternator is more than likely bad. unless u got bad wiring, but unless u had previous issues its unlikely. good luck

[9ussy]

ill have to recheck it tomorrow to make sure.. i don't want my battery to die again.. opps and sorry i have a 98 integra..... autozone lady said its suppose to be up in the 14's...

[9ussy]

i would think 12.2 would be normal for an idling engine. does your car have underdrive pulleys? does it kill your battery to the point that you have to get jumped off everytime u go anywhere? i wouldn't mess with it unless it did, just my opinion. but sometimes the voltage regulators go out in the alternators.


where would the voltage regulator be located??

[Barefoot]

i would think 12.2 would be normal for an idling engine. does your car have underdrive pulleys? does it kill your battery to the point that you have to get jumped off everytime u go anywhere? i wouldn't mess with it unless it did, just my opinion. but sometimes the voltage regulators go out in the alternators.:lmfao::screwy::thinking::(:???::no:
WOAH!!! 12's are only normal if ur car is off. its supposed to be mid 13's to low/mid 14'2 at idle. hondas have one big and 1 thick wire at the alternator. make sure the thick wire held dwn by the 10mm nut is tight and not touching the case of the alternator. and make sure the big plug is plugged in. if all thats in tact, ur alternator is more than likely bad. unless u got bad wiring, but unless u had previous issues its unlikely. good luck:goodjob::goodjob::goodjob::goodjob::goodjob:

where would the voltage regulator be located??
its inside the alt.

[9ussy]

daym... 250 or so for a alternator.. sh!t...

[9ussy]

its inside the alt.


how can i check to see if its bad?

[IOnlyLookStock]

Ya the voltage needs to be around 13.5-14.3 at idle. Check your ground for the alternator as well. That happened to my old Integra. The ground wasn't screwed down tight and it would read around 12.1 at idle. I fixed it and the alt was fine from then on. I have a GSR alternator in my garage that works great, Ill sell it to you for 80 bucks but I'm not sure if it fits LS or just GSR. Go to autozone and see if they are the same alternator, and if so Ill sell you mine. Ill install it for pretty cheap too if you'd like. PM me if you are interested.

[Barefoot]

how can i check to see if its bad?they can test it at most auto parts stores theses days.
I have a GSR alternator in my garage that works greatas long as they are the same obds it will work.

[9ussy]

Ya the voltage needs to be around 13.5-14.3 at idle. Check your ground for the alternator as well. That happened to my old Integra. The ground wasn't screwed down tight and it would read around 12.1 at idle. I fixed it and the alt was fine from then on. I have a GSR alternator in my garage that works great, Ill sell it to you for 80 bucks but I'm not sure if it fits LS or just GSR. Go to autozone and see if they are the same alternator, and if so Ill sell you mine. Ill install it for pretty cheap too if you'd like. PM me if you are interested.

pm'd.. i might want to pick it up.. how did you get the alternator?

[joshk5145]

o well my bad obviously i was wrong but o well i kno now

[IOnlyLookStock]

pm'd.. i might want to pick it up.. how did you get the alternator?

Replied. Was only used for about 3 months tops. I will run up to autozone with you if you want to buy it so I can prove its working good.

P.S. About your alarm question... No the blinking red light is not enough to drain a battery. Most alarms have a blinking light, and they do not drain the battery unless the alarm is wired wrong.

[patrick4588]

i went through some alternator trouble a while back. i swapped battery's, alternators twice, and it kept dying. i eventually ran a new power wire to the alternator and that solved it.

[9ussy]

i checked the alternator and everything is hooked up... but i see no ground?? how long untill i need to get this fix before my battery gets drained?

[BTEC]

i checked the alternator and everything is hooked up... but i see no ground?? how long untill i need to get this fix before my battery gets drained?
there is no ground other than the one in the big plug. i think hes calling the big wire i was talking about the ground. its positive bc it goes straight to the battery. dnt drive much and it might last a week. maybe

[patrick4588]

**** mine only used to work for 2 days before it was dead. i wouldnt drive it at all. get a volt gauge and keep it in the car so you can see how dead the battery is

[Tech5]

The alarm light doesnt draw hardly any volts, its like .2volts so no worries there...But yes alternator is needed to be 14 volts so if everything is plugged in then its bad...now I have seen a ECU to be bad an not sending the signal wire volts .5 volt refference and not allowing the alternator charge, but that was on 1 car out of 200 so its rare but happens
i just bought a new battery.. and i had it checked out at autozone.. they said i had a bad alternator.. its suppose to be like 14 volts right?? b/c on that thing it said 12.2 volts or whatever... could there be something not hooked up thats causing this or what?? i just wanna make sure before spending 200 bux on this.. and will my car alarm kill my new battery?? the red light keeps blinking every few minutes.. should i just take the battery out?

98 integra...

thanks..
- al

[Tech5]

also remember the alternator doesnt charge at all times either.....

[AnthonyF]

i would think 12.2 would be normal for an idling engine. lolol. No.

There is a ground for the signal (plug) wire that goes into the ALT. The housing of the ALT is the ground. So when you bolt it up it grounds itself out. A good ALT will charge at 14.2v constantly. May drop down if all lights are on and stereo is blasted, etc....

Dont buy those cheap ass ALT, they go bad so easily.

-Ant.

[9ussy]

would a bad alternator explain why my mph gauge is not working??

[BTEC]

i dnt think the alternator affects ur speedo. that would be more like ur speed sensor in ur tranny.

[9ussy]

i dnt think the alternator affects ur speedo. that would be more like ur speed sensor in ur tranny.


yea i thought so.. but before my battery died the speedo died... lol.. sooo i dont know..

[MR.EM1]

DOOOOOOD! this same sh1t happened to me last week changed my battery and alternator.....u check ur SP ALTERNATOR FUSE in ur cars fuse box i bet u anything thats it CHECK THAT ASAP i checked mine and it was completley cracked


its not ur alternator or battery....its ur alternator fuse

[9ussy]

DOOOOOOD! this same sh1t happened to me last week changed my battery and alternator.....u check ur SP ALTERNATOR FUSE in ur cars fuse box i bet u anything thats it CHECK THAT ASAP i checked mine and it was completley cracked


its not ur alternator or battery....its ur alternator fuse


ok thanks.. ill check that out asap.. i want to check all possible options before i spend 250 on a alternator...

[9ussy]

where is that fuse located?? i don't see any that says alternator of some sort...

[Bud]

damn still aint got that shiz fixed?

[9ussy]

damn still aint got that shiz fixed?

yea got it fixed today.. fuse was bad... and i guess a wire under the intake manifold was shorting something.. soo i taped it up... it was a yellow striped red wire... also there was a wire unplugged it had a black wire with a red a green stripe wire? anyone know what these are?? i hope this stays good.. ill keep checking if the fuse blows or not..

* and thanks bud for pushing my car *..

[MR.EM1]

lol i knew it would be a fuse same sh1t happened to me.