Test your alternator without tools.
Cutaway of an automotive alternator
Yes, it is true you can test your alternator without tools. I recently had to replace the battery in one of my vehicles. When a battery problem comes up there are always three things that could be causing the symptoms of your vehicle. That’s because the three things are part of a system, and that each item relies on each other to give the expected outcome. That outcome is starting your car or truck.
Car Batteries for Autos – Amazon.com
The three items in the system
The three items are the alternator, the battery, and the starter. If the alternator is causing the problem the battery will not have enough power to send to the starter when it needs it. On the other hand, if the battery is causing the problem it can not store enough current to supply the starter when it needs it.
If the starter is the problem the starter being worn out requires way more amperage than the battery can deliver and the starter is not able to spin the motor fast enough to get it to start. In my case, the battery was clearly the problem. I could get the battery to hold a charge for a while. But if it got too cold the battery would simply not be able to supply the starter with enough amperage to spin the starter. Give the battery a little warmth(an hour or two of sunshine) and it would spin the starter like a champ. But let’s get back to that alternator check.
How to check it
You can check if your alternator is working by having your car running and simply disconnecting the positive side of the battery. If your alternator is outputting voltage and amperage your car engine will continue to run. If it is not working the engine will shut down because there is no voltage or amperage to feed the electronics of the car.
There you have it a simple procedure that will get the job done without technical knowledge.
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