Untamed
03-02-2007, 12:39 PM
I've driven my 88TA a few times now, and noticed a consistant drop in voltage on the battery everytime I start it up. It's now at the point where there isn't enough juice to start the car without jumping it.
Normally I wold attribute that to a bad alternator and just get a new one. So I took it to Autozone, they tested the alt, and said it was fine. Its the original, 19 yr old alt for the car. Normally, after a car is started, the alt provides the juice for everything to run, right? That batt is only needed for starting. On my car, it looks like the batt is constantly being used as I drive. There's no loss of power when the car isn't running - the batt has just as much juice when I try to start it, as when I shut it down the last time I drove it.
So the kid at Autozone says it might be the voltage regulator. I've never dealt with one so don't know what to look for / what it actually does. Could this voltage regulator prevent the alternator from giving the electrical system the juice it needs to run everything? He said the volt regulator is not located in the alternator, its a separate system.
Any help?
Normally I wold attribute that to a bad alternator and just get a new one. So I took it to Autozone, they tested the alt, and said it was fine. Its the original, 19 yr old alt for the car. Normally, after a car is started, the alt provides the juice for everything to run, right? That batt is only needed for starting. On my car, it looks like the batt is constantly being used as I drive. There's no loss of power when the car isn't running - the batt has just as much juice when I try to start it, as when I shut it down the last time I drove it.
So the kid at Autozone says it might be the voltage regulator. I've never dealt with one so don't know what to look for / what it actually does. Could this voltage regulator prevent the alternator from giving the electrical system the juice it needs to run everything? He said the volt regulator is not located in the alternator, its a separate system.
Any help?