Any body know how to test if the alternator is charging the battery on the chelsea tractor.

Something is draining the battery and I'm want to eliminate the alternator before I go about buying a new battery.

I have a multi meter just need to know where to put the probes.


Cheers
Tiff

 

on the battery mate

set the meter to 20v dc

red on pos black on neg while its running

 

As XR4x4rs says, put the multimeter leads on the battery terminals, select to voltage (of a suitable range) make sure its DC volts!

With the engine off it should read ~12v, start it up, if the alternator is working well then it will read about 13.2-14.5ishv

 

Ok.

20 dcv the battery reads 13.5 or there abouts when engine off.
turn engine on and it goes to 13.88


What does that mean?


Tiff

 

its ok in an ideal world i would get it load tested and your battery drop tested as well, should of be a few quid at a auto sparky place, is lucas still in warwick, they can sort it no problem.

 

Phill

are you saying that sounds ok?

Tiff

 

??????????????

 

yes that sounds about right most car alternators are between 13.5 to 14v

any higher and your alternator is overcharging

why do you think wrong with it

 

went to the car the other morning and it wouldn't start but did off a jump.

Used it yesterday went for a run left it a few hours and it started ok.

Left it over night and the battery is flat.


????????????

 

New battery time

(unless the kids have left the DVD screens on etc )

 

as nuts rus says new battery mate

its not holding its charge

or theres a drain sumwhere

 

New battery it is then i think

 

just switch your meter to amps and put in series with the positive cable, leave the ignition off and see what the current draw is, should be very low if its over an amp or so you have a drain, if so pull the fuses one at a time and see if it the current draw drops, you then now what circuit the drain is on

 

In series???? Sorry not very technical when it comes to these things...

 

I take it thats DCA on my multi meter?
What number? I have 2000, 20m 200m 10A

Tiff

 

tiff, that tests means your alternator works but battery is draining... if the alternator was knackered, it'd jump, then konk out

 

tiff, in series means inline, just disconnect your positive lead, switch the meter to 10amp scale and place one probe on the battery positive terminal and the other on the end of the lead. Shall i pop across

 

its like installing a flow meter in line on a water pipe .. ..
take the red connector off of the battery ...
put the red probe onto the battery and the black probe onto the battery terminal you have taken off .. all with the ignition switched off .. then see what it reads ...

 

Batterys fucked. Probably has a dead cell.