My GTA has a problem where when I start the car cold, the volt meter reads just a couple lines above 8 (the red zone). It doesn't really go much lower than that, and it seems as if when the engine gets warm enough, I can hear something under the hood engage and start up, and at the same time, the volt meter starts to rise to just above 13. It has been cold lately, so the engine doesn't reallly warm up much, and the last couple of times that I have driven it, the voltage never did go up.

Does anyone have any ideas on this? Can the alternator behave like this?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

i got a similar problem on my 91rs, but i recently had my cluster off the car. You should check out my post in this board and on the interior board. MACEWEN suggested a way to fix it. Mine will work fine too when the car warms up. But i don;t hear anything clicking. and my bulbs sometimes don't work on the voltmeter...that is all related

 

Yeah, I saw your posts, but it sounded like your volt meter just didn't work - whereas with my car, the meter works, but I have an actual voltage problem - the windows roll down slower, turn signals slower, etc.

Thanks for the reply though.

Any other ideas?

 

Drummer,

Using my car as a baseline, your voltage output does not seem that unusual.

The ECM will trigger the RPM's to rise if the volts fall too low while the engine is running.

When cold, and your rev the engine to 1200-1400 RPM's do your volts shoot back to at least 12 on the gauge? They should is the system is taxed (HVAC on, Defroster ON, etc).

You can have a free test of your alternator performed at Advance Auto Parts. They typically have a portable tester, and you will not need to remove the alternator, or disconnect any cables.

With our typical idle of 500 RPM's, volts can drop pretty low, with system taxed. At that RPM the Alternator is no doubt full-fielded but simply is not spinning fast enough to generate the volts desired. No wonder they burn up every 8mo's - 2 years.

My alternators have lasted the longest when my idle was highest. This really makes me question the practicality of "power pulleys".



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Ryan MacEwen Pruyn
MacEwen Motorsports

1987 GTA 350 6spd, White OEM instruments, 17" Borbet Type A's, 275/40ZR17's, 255/45ZR17's, Koni Sport Adjustables, Eichbach Sport Springs, Poly U, everywhere, Guldstrand Engineering Panhard rod, LCA's

 

Well, this is a new problem that my car just started having. Usually, the volt meter always reads at least around 13. To answer your question, no, the meter does not go up when I rev the engine, but I have been purposely NOT using things such as the heater, etc, as I thought that might make the problem worse than it is. There seems to be a noticeable power decrease to when the volts are reading low - when they go back up, the power seems fine, the windows roll up and down at the right speed, etc. I am just wondering if my alternator is acting flakey, or is there some kind of voltage regulator separate from the alternator that could be bad?

My alternator is one of those Nascar types from Kragen Auto, as I had to replace the original when I bought the car. The alternator is about a year and a half old.

 

sorry for the double post.

[This message has been edited by Drummer (edited January 12, 2001).]

 

maybe the belt needs to warm up and get sticky to grab the alternator. Try tightening it. just a suggestion, im no expert, John

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84 Firebird w/ T/A gfx, 350 4bbl (LM1), Non-leaking T-Tops (new rubber all around), Auto, Working headlights (new parts), K&N, 180* thermostat, ram-air hood scoop, flowmaster muffler (yuk), Accel cap & rotor, MSD Super Conductor Wires. Soon: new gray interior, SFCs, poly bushings, WS6 sway bars & springs.

 

The belt seems fine, and the alternator is definitely spinning. I think that I am going to be buying a high output alternator. My stereo puts out wattage and pulls amperage that this alternator just isn't sufficient for. I guess I probably burned it out, and sent it right to an early alternator grave. Thanks for the ideas.


[This message has been edited by Drummer (edited January 14, 2001).]

 

The voltage regulator is internal, so when you replace the alternator you will also be replacing the voltage regulator. You could try to replace the voltage regulator, diode trio, and rectifier bridge which are all inside the alternator....or just buy a new or rebuilt higher output one.

[This message has been edited by TunedPort350 (edited January 15, 2001).]