#Minitune alternator tester l how to
#Minitune alternator tester l generator

If all seems fine, we advise that you remove your alternator and have it bench tested. So, what should you do in this specific case? You can check the wiring between your battery and alternator to ensure that the wires aren't loose, worn or damaged. If this happens, it's an indication that your charging system isn't functioning properly.ДЄgain, if there are very low differences between your battery and alternator readings, you should be concerned. Nonetheless, anything higher than the original battery voltage above when the engine was off and lower than 16.5 volts should be okay.ДЄnother cause for concern is if the readings are the same as the initial battery voltage of 12.4-12.6 volts. However, these readings shouldn't exceed 16.5 volts. Don't be alarmed if they are slightly higher. The readings you should expect range around 14.0 and 14.5 volts. This will tell you that you have a good alternator. When you measure again, you should see increased voltage readings. Anything below 12.4 volts could mean that your battery needs checking. Ensure you write down the specific reading you get. The battery reading should be between 12.4 and 12.6 volts. Once you locate such a bolt on the chassis or engine of the car, you should be good to go. If you can't find the negative terminal, you can touch the probe to any clean bolt.Д®nsure that the bolt isn't painted. The positive terminal should be easy to find. These access terminals may also be color-coded to guide you better. This applies if your car battery is under your rear seat or fender well. If you have a car with its battery tucked away, you'll need to work with access terminals under the hood. So, in terms of color-coding, positive should be red while negative should be black. This means that positive goes to positive while negative goes to negative. So, take each probe and touch it to the matching terminal. Next, we'll get to where you should start your car down the line. First, however, ensure that your car is off. The first step is to touch the probes to the car battery's terminals. If you're working with a multimeter that doesn't have incremental settings, you can just set it to DC volts.

How do you do this? First, you need to set your instrument to voltage and adjust it to 20 DC volts. Now that you have the tool you need, you need to set it to work for you. What is an alternator? This is a handheld device that you'll use to measure the voltage on your electrical connections.Д«asically, that's it. The first tool you'll need is the multimeter to help you do the alternator test.

#Minitune alternator tester l how to

How To Test An Alternator Step 1: Get the Tools Let's now look at how to do the actual testing of your alternator. It also has an alternator belt running around it, enabling it to function properly. The alternator is about the size of a coconut and is often mounted to the front of your car's engine. The alternator distributes electricity throughout your car's electrical system and recharges your battery.

#Minitune alternator tester l generator

What Is An Alternator?ДЄn alternator is a generator found in all vehicles that have a standard internal combustion engine. So, since we've established that your electrical system can't run without an alternator, let's look at what exactly this piece of equipment is. You use your battery to start your car and get electrical energy when your vehicle isn't running. This is not to say that the car battery is just lounging. Therefore, you have the car alternator to thank whenever you're running your headlights, radio, and even windshield wipers. The car alternator produces most of the electricity that your car uses. The last thing you need is being unable to power your car's electricals. Did you know that it's not the car battery that powers most electrical things in your car but the alternator? This is why today we're looking at how to test an alternator.