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What Voltage should your alternator be charging at?
General Car Related Discussion.To discuss anything that is related to cars and automotive technology that doesnt naturally fit into another forum catagory.
Mine does that sometimes aswell Lynne, Turn the car over and the SECS drops right down to 11 volts...
Don't fancy splashing out for an alternator if it's the battery i need....
I have a brand new heavy duty Varta battery and it still does it. Using it the other night with headlights and heater on, it was reading 12.5v. If I turn the engine off and just leave the ignition on, it drops quite rapidly to around the 11v mark. I think there is something draining mine. I got Si at A1 Rally Sport to check it over last week, but he couldn't find anything and at most times his ammeter was reading 13.7v... when I have time, I will take it into an auto electricians, as it really pees me off having to put it on a trickle charger every time after driving it. My car does still have the original alternator, so maybe it is that, after all it is over 11 years old.
Have you actually read it with a meter on the battery itself? Ours is over 13 when running. Leave it standing a couple of days and like Redkops around its 11 then wont start